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Apple to Give Employees $500 Off Macs and $250 Off iPads
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If I worked for Apple I'd ask for an extension on the $500 Mac offer. I'd say that I'm waiting for a desktop mini tower.
haha I had a friend that was so secretive about her discount, she just would not tell me, saying she would get in trouble, good thing the internet exists!
hmm my company gets a lot of other company's employee discounts, this one would be nice to have carry over
hmm my company gets a lot of other company's employee discounts, this one would be nice to have carry over
Wow, was expecting some sort of profit sharing or bonus to employees for all those billions and billions of dollars.
Instead just a decent discount on buying products to further their company's profits? Kind of lame. Only useful if their family/spouse might need a computer in the near future. Kind of a cheesy deal since they already had the 25% offer.
Instead just a decent discount on buying products to further their company's profits? Kind of lame. Only useful if their family/spouse might need a computer in the near future. Kind of a cheesy deal since they already had the 25% offer.
This isn't a "perk". It is a way to get employees up to speed on the very latest generation of hardware and software. The free iPhone 4 8gb was a low cost way to force internal adoption of iOS and everything associated with it, by employees en masse. They still had to pay for apps and service.
The current discount for iPads and Macs, and its delay to June 2012, is simply a way to get employees to adopt the very latest version of iOS and MacOS systems, and how many of each that are adopted will be telling. In this case they pay enough to cover the hard costs of the program. Everybody wins on the road to corporate upgrades.
When employees register their devices, Apple has a database of employees to sort against to see what things they are doing with them. That can be valuable internal and early adopter market research.
Rocketman
The current discount for iPads and Macs, and its delay to June 2012, is simply a way to get employees to adopt the very latest version of iOS and MacOS systems, and how many of each that are adopted will be telling. In this case they pay enough to cover the hard costs of the program. Everybody wins on the road to corporate upgrades.
When employees register their devices, Apple has a database of employees to sort against to see what things they are doing with them. That can be valuable internal and early adopter market research.
Rocketman
I could see that. Once every 3 years you get this mega discount ( which likely wouldn't count on the iPads for the first couple of months of a release). The other two years you get the regular 25%. Rumor has it there's a 2 a year at 15% discount for 'friends and family' as well. That will likely stay even if the 25% doesn't.
What I find interesting about this rumor is when it is due to start. Could that June date be a sign of when the new iPad is going to launch. I recall a rumor last year that employees couldn't get a discount on the iPad 2 for some 90 days after launch. So if they are going to start this in June perhaps that's when they expect to start allowing discounted iPad 3's. So go back 30 days and that could fall into the March release window previously rumored
So you still get the 25%, which is like $150. Also, the iPad discount is likely to encourage employees to buy the larger models (they probably have stats showing that most of them already do, or at least the 3g ones)
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Perhaps there's going to be new Mac models coming shortly before that and by waiting, plus letting employees know now about this new discount, they won't be buying "last year's model" unawares. But at the same time, they aren't telling the employees for certain there's new models so no one can leak it out or discourage customers from buying what's out now
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Yes they do. Part time and full time after only like 45 days. AND Apple is one of only a few companies known to give benefits to domestic partners.
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That comment implies that Apple tracks what employees do on personal equipment and that's immoral if not illegal. Not to mention probably not happening as well as you think since you can have several apple ids. It would be easy to have all your apps etc on one that you haven't told to 'the man' and what can they do about it. nothing.
Although a VERY NICE discount program...
1)Apple really should have done this (or at least far better than 25% off) years ago. It's rare to work at a company and only get a 25% (or less) discount on products the company MAKES. For example, Microsoft sells its Office and Windows products to employees for about $10 a pop vs. the $120+ retail prices.
2)Likely Apple is trying to gain market share in the personal computer land...and thus giving thousands of employees extremely cheap Macs sure helps spread the adoption (meaning that folks can afford the Macs and then promote them to friends and family).
1)Apple really should have done this (or at least far better than 25% off) years ago. It's rare to work at a company and only get a 25% (or less) discount on products the company MAKES. For example, Microsoft sells its Office and Windows products to employees for about $10 a pop vs. the $120+ retail prices.
2)Likely Apple is trying to gain market share in the personal computer land...and thus giving thousands of employees extremely cheap Macs sure helps spread the adoption (meaning that folks can afford the Macs and then promote them to friends and family).
How do you know that there would be any profit on such buys. Especially if this is a bonus $ off on top of the 20-25% that is already given every year as some are claiming. That would end up being a buy at cost or perhaps under.
And rumor has it that Apple gives employees free copies of Apple software including the pro apps and even server editions of the OS. So that seems to be a wash with your example.
I know when I worked at GAP for a long time we had an item limit on our employee purchases. 3 shirts or jackets and 3 pants or dresses a month, could only be used in the department we would wear and if didn't buy one month we lost it. Sucked for me because I was so short that I had to buy from the kids department but as an adult female that wasn't my department so I either bought adult clothes and spent my discount to have them taken in or bought kids at no employee discount.
Would be interesting if they could combine the two discounts. I wouldn't think they would. Even so, the worker is still taking money out of their pocket for their company. Definitely a bit silly.
Now that I know that they will still offer the 25% discount (the original article didn't state that), its not so bad.
Software is different than hardware, if you are giving a discount on hardware, you don't want to take a loss. Basically with software MS is giving out a nearly free licence to it's products. But giving discounts on machines, cars, TV's etc, you want to give at a deep discount on your profits (such as 25%) but not a loss. $500 is better in many ways (getting $500 off of a $999 MBA is a good deal).
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Somewhat reminds me of the politic lead by Ford in the beginning of the century, very interesting move I must say!
I think this is a good move by apple.
I worked at both best buy, and futureshop and I think they had a great discount. It was Cost + 5%,
HDMI cables as cheap as 3.00
Laptop cases as cheap as 10.00
iPhone cases as cheap as 3.00
Even accessories for iPods such as chargers or docking stations were routinely 70% off or more.
The discount we got on mac's and iPods was minimal at best, (200-300 off macs, 50.00 off iPods) But the money you saved on everything else in the store was fantastic. Sometimes you could even get a tv for 60% off.
I worked at both best buy, and futureshop and I think they had a great discount. It was Cost + 5%,
HDMI cables as cheap as 3.00
Laptop cases as cheap as 10.00
iPhone cases as cheap as 3.00
Even accessories for iPods such as chargers or docking stations were routinely 70% off or more.
The discount we got on mac's and iPods was minimal at best, (200-300 off macs, 50.00 off iPods) But the money you saved on everything else in the store was fantastic. Sometimes you could even get a tv for 60% off.
None of the devices you have mentioned are in as tight demand as Apple. $500 off the it computer, a device loads of people want to have is much more valuable, whether you like it or not. Apple products are in higher demand than IBM PCs, Mecedes, Audis, or Feraris so the company doesn't have to give huge discounts.