I mean, compared to alternative ARM mini computers with 32GB of RAM and 512GB storage and comparable performance they're offering a several hundred dollar discount...

Microsoft and Qualcomm aren't even offering to sell hardware below cost, much less loaning hardware and then issuing a store credit for the full amount you paid to join the program.

It doesn't show anywhere near the same level of commitment to getting the software in their ecosystem ported over to their new architecture.

I don't think you get it.

You get to keep the hardware. $900 gets you the hardware forever. You don't send it back after a year to buy a similarly equipped model with a credit from the deposit you put down. You just get a 32GB 512GB roughly M2 Pro performing machine for $900. Apple wants $1700 for that!

Why should you have to buy another desktop computer just to do additional work to support Microsoft and Qualcomm's new platform?

Especially a computer that you know lacks widespread software support for a new instruction set.

A developer will already own a computer with high end specs. They don't need to be forced to buy an additional desktop that runs software under emulation... Slowly.

Why should you spend $500 to rent a desktop computer for a year just to do additional work for Apple? Remember you don't get that $500 back. At best it went towards another Apple device. So either way you're down $500 even if you don't keep it and don't replace it.

You buy a devkit because you want to support the platform and potentially think it's worth it.

> You buy a devkit because you want to support the platform

That is not how business decisions work.

Keeping the costs down as much as possible is Microsoft and Qualcomm's job, and they aren't stepping up.

They aren't even offering their hardware below cost.

I didn't mean support in a fanboy sense but a business sense and you know it which is why you clipped away the "potentially worth it" part.

Was the DTK rented below cost? Have proof of that? $500 to rent a screenless 2018 iPad Pro in 2020 (that would have been about what $1000 retail for that config?) seems like a shit deal.

> I didn't mean support in a fanboy sense

This is indeed exactly how your posts are coming across.

It's obvious that Apple took a loss on the DTK hardware because it was never for sale to the public.

Apple manufactured it, shipped it out to developers, and then issued a credit for the full cost of joining the program when the hardware was returned. They ended up with used hardware that couldn't be sold.

An obvious loss.

Microsoft isn't even bundling a copy of the ARM version of Visual Studio, which would have a marginal cost for them of pretty much zero.

Right, but Apple wants that money after funding an actual dev program to port code to that platform. This dev platform is going to be much higher risk than a consumer platform and might be something you want to give back.