Apple Rewards Staff With $500 Mac Cut, $250 iPad Saving

Apple employees may have to put up with migraine-inducing levels of secrecy and the overspill of "magical" product dust getting in their eyes, but up to $500 discounts off new hardware may go some way to alleviating any discomfort. Announced by Apple CEO Tim Cook at a Town Hall session with employees post-financial results this week, 9to5Mac reports, staff will be able to take advantage of up to $500 off of a new Mac or $250 off a new iPad.

The deal is apparently on top of any existing promotions, which given Apple already gives employees a 25-percent discount off new Macs adds up to a significant saving. Because of that, the Mac mini is said to be excluded from the $500 cut since it's only $599 to begin with.

That's not the only caveat. Only Apple staff who have been employed with the company for at least 90 days will be eligible, and the discount is only available once every three years. The promotion is expected to begin in June.

Even if all Apple's staff take advantage, the discount scheme shouldn't make too great a divot in the company's bank account. Profit alone for the most recent financial quarter amounted to $13.06 billion, on revenues of $46.3 billion.