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Apple Seeking to Stimulate Mac Development With $99 Mac Dev Program

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Apr 12, 2001
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After a brief outdate on Thursday, Apple's developer site returned with a dramatically restructured developer program for the Mac that is modeled after the $99/year iPhone developer program:
“Modeled after the highly successful iPhone Developer Program, we've relaunched the Mac Developer Program to offer members technical resources, support, access to pre-release software, developer forums and more, all for just $99 per year. As our developer base continues to grow in leaps and bounds, we're working hard to ensure we provide our developers with everything they need to create innovative applications for both the iPhone OS and Mac OS X.”
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Previously, Apple offered multiple tiers (Select, Premier) at significantly higher prices ($499, $3499) but also included hardware discounts and other perks to membership. It appears Apple may be looking to tempt the large number of iPhone developers to easily jump to Mac development. Existing ADC members accounts will continue as is until they expire, at which time members can then join the new $99/year program. Prospective Mac developers can still download the Xcode tools for free, but without access to the pre-release software and technical support.

Article Link: Apple Seeking to Stimulate Mac Development With $99 Mac Dev Program
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/03/05/apple-seeking-to-stimulate-mac-development-with-99-mac-dev-program/
i think this is great news - makes developing for the mac more accessible so hopefully we will see some more apps etc.
 
I'm an out-of-work Mac QA engineer that does some Cocoa development. I used to have access to an ADC software seed key from my previous employer in my free ADC account, and it gave me access to download a full version of Mac OS X Server w/ serial number to use for testing. Does anyone know if this $99/year program w/ software seeds includes the full version of Mac OS X Server? If so, then I'll definitely be signing-up, but I would like to confirm this first. Please let me know if you've signed up and know if it includes the full download of Mac OS X Server w/ serial. Thanks!
 
The new "Mac Developer Program" webiste indicated that this new $99/year membership also includes "Development Videos that deliver the latest on Mac OS X through iTunes." Does anyone know if this means you get access to the WWDC session videos for only $99? Even if you used to have an ADC account Apple charged an extra $3500 for these videos in the past. This is a HUGE resource if it is now available for only $99. Can anyone confirm if the WWDC videos are available? Let me know, Thanks!
 
It is clear what is going on here. Most of the Macs in the distant future will follow the iPad/iPhone software model. Hence, a mac app store!
 
Compile 'em all said:
It is clear what is going on here. Most of the Macs in the distant future will follow the iPad/iPhone software model. Hence, a mac app store!
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I wouldn't be opposed to that, as long as they included freeware software titles as well. Something like a software repository for Linux, only not as obscure and archaic. Hell, I'd even pay a small subscription fee, if the mac app store would update and maintain all current versions of the software I use.

This is just me thinking at 2:30am, half asleep, so none of this will probably actually occur.
 
SSmagicman said:
I'm an out-of-work Mac QA engineer that does some Cocoa development. I used to have access to an ADC software seed key from my previous employer in my free ADC account, and it gave me access to download a full version of Mac OS X Server w/ serial number to use for testing. Does anyone know if this $99/year program w/ software seeds includes the full version of Mac OS X Server? If so, then I'll definitely be signing-up, but I would like to confirm this first. Please let me know if you've signed up and know if it includes the full download of Mac OS X Server w/ serial. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Unless they decide to can Developer seeding of OS X server via this method, will be interesting to find out. This would be enticing for anyone that wants a copy of server for 99 bucks. I'm sure they've thought of this.
 
Stevo I see what you did here....

Very Accessible Dev Program --> Mac Dev Program + Quattro Wireless --> Great Money Minting Advertising Model on Mobile and Desktop Apps.

This gonna be yet another game changer. See rest of the pack following this suite pretty soon.
 
With Any Luck..

Cheaper = more developers testing pre-release software = more bugs discovered = stabler releases.
 
Much is unclear

- What about access to software updates? E.g. does the $99/year cover OS X updates? Probably not. Only the prereleases for bug testing.
- What about OS X Server? The Premier & Select programs came with an OS X Server license.
- Do the Premier & Select still exist? It seems to be (then the answer to the previous question is probably no).
 
Compile 'em all said:
It is clear what is going on here. Most of the Macs in the distant future will follow the iPad/iPhone software model. Hence, a mac app store!
Click to expand...
I'm not interested in day to day computing on a slimmed down browser, if that's what you mean.

Ed91 said:
Cheaper = more developers testing pre-release software = more bugs discovered = stabler releases.
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I see it as cheaper = more developers creating **** apps = more trash to weed through = quality to quantity ratio is 1:5000. Unfortunately when all it take is a $100, that's what you get.
 
Compile 'em all said:
Most of the Macs in the distant future will follow the iPad/iPhone software model.
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This line of thinking scares me. The best part of OSX was having a full, Unix-like OS underneath the pretty GUI, with a thriving open-source development community around it. Even the thought of this changing gives me a slight pause on what sort of computer I'll purchase next. I certainly hope that does not happen -- thankfully, I see no real evidence of that in this change alone.

If I'm reading this right (and looking through the Apple developer site correctly), it seems like this is not a replacement for anything currently available freely. It is a replacement/restructuring of the more expensive programs, and not the freely available developer account. Which suggests that, no, this is not some rapid move towards an iPhone-like OS/application model for OSX -- just a move towards an iPhone-like developer program for OSX, replacing the former, vastly-more-expensive program in an effort to entice more developers to join (probably given the likely-obscene profits Apple receives from the iPhone dev program).

Edit: Responding to some of the other questions, yes, the Select/Premier options will be going away. They are not immediately converted to the new system, but will not be available in the future once current subscriptions expire. I can't see any evidence of the $99 program providing hardware discounts or server licences. I'd expect it to definitely include pre-releases of OSX patches (i.e., 10.6.3), and maybe betas of new OSX versions, given how inexpensively Snow Leopard was priced at its release.
 
jessica. said:
I'm not interested in day to day computing on a slimmed down browser, if that's what you mean.
Click to expand...

I think it's pretty clear that not what was meant.

I see it as cheaper = more developers creating **** apps = more trash to weed through = quality to quantity ratio is 1:5000. Unfortunately when all it take is a $100, that's what you get.
Click to expand...

Anyone can make an OSX fart app for free, right now. The drop in costs makes no difference to that.
 
I take a different view on the wherefore and whys.

Considering a lot of seeds are torrented and downloaded by freeloaders Apple has decided to lower the price to $99 in hopes of attracting some of these folks in order to get more feedback through the official channels. And at the sme time opening the floodgates to OSX to a more diverse groups of "developers". I see nothing wrong with this but it feels like a slap in the face to a lot of devs that have been paying $499 or $3499 for the same access.
 
broken-chaos said:
This line of thinking scares me. The best part of OSX was having a full, Unix-like OS underneath the pretty GUI, with a thriving open-source development community around it. Even the thought of this changing gives me a slight pause on what sort of computer I'll purchase next. I certainly hope that does not happen -- thankfully, I see no real evidence of that in this change alone.
Click to expand...

You obviously don't get what "software model" means, just like several others. No-one is talking about replacing OSX with iPhone OS - the "software model" people are talking about here is an App Store for OSX applications.

Typical knee-jerk response based on minimal facts. You're already talking about OSX in the past tense, for crying out loud, and of abandoning the platform based on your own incorrect assumptions. :rolleyes:
 
Ohh a Mac AppStore would be great. An organized central location where tested and approved mac apps can be found...I'd love it. I've been wishing for something like that ever since I first played with an iPhone. It would really make sense and totally fit with what Apple is all about. I think your average consumer would really dig it, too.

Not that this article is even saying this will happen though...
 
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