Fulfilling a promise it made in January, Apple has reworked its employee discount program to include $500 off Mac computers and $250 off of iPads. According to 9to5Mac, this discount stacks with an existing 25 percent off which Apple employees already enjoy. Apple employees, rejoice!
While certainly a very generous offer, there do exist some specific limitations. Each employee may only use their discount once every three years and must have been employed at least 90 days. Despite those stipulations, this sounds like a solid way for those who work for Apple to maintain a modern computer throughout their years of service.
Interestingly, the discounts specifically exclude the Mac Mini – presumably because it would be completely free after a 25 percent discount and $500 off. Given that the Apple employs about 47,000 people, there is little doubt it would be giving away quite a few Mac Minis if that weren't the case.
Additionally, the brand new Retina display Macbook, a laptop which starts at $2200, appears to be missing from the internal employee portal. Although it hasn't been expressly stricken from purchase, employees won't be able to buy until it appears in the portal – which may be never.
9to5Mac is also hearing reports of retail store employees getting raises – in some cases as much as 30 percent more. If what we heard in December was true about Apple Store workers bringing in an average of $278 per hour in revenue, they probably deserve it. The Apple-centric website reckons the average raise is between $2 and $4 per hour, according to their sources.