Setting up and configuring a development environment on an M1 MacBook Pro can be more complicated than usual due to Apple's switch from Intel processors to their own M1 chip. To overcome this, one can create a "Rosetta Terminal" that duplicates the native terminal and forces it to run with Rosetta 2, allowing for easy installation of critical CLI tools like nvm and brew. This dedicated Rosetta Terminal can be used to install these tools, which are then translated by Rosetta during installation, making them compatible with Apple Silicon. Additionally, some applications may not have fully native support for the new M1 architecture, so it's recommended to check if they offer ARM optimized versions or use alternative methods like installing x86_64 versions and running them through Rosetta.