Thursday, June 21, 2012

Apple : Apple employee perks now include deeper discounts on Mac, iPad products

Apple : Apple employee perks now include deeper discounts on Mac, iPad products

Apple employee perks now include deeper discounts on Mac, iPad products

Posted:

Apple employee perks now include deeper discounts on Mac, iPad products

Employee discounts have long been a nice perk for being a worker bee, but new discounts just launched by Apple slash up to $500 off the company's Mac products.

Apple's new Employee Purchase Plan+ was first announced at a company-wide meeting in January, but the discounts finally kicked in on Wednesday.

Apple previously offered employees beyond their probationary period a 25 percent discount on Mac or iPad products once every three years.

With the new Employee Purchase Plan+, employees purchasing eligible Macs can shave an additional $500, or up to $250 off an iPad.

MacBook 2012 not eligible

Of course, there's always a catch: The cheaper Mac mini is not eligible, nor is the company's latest hard to come by MacBook Pro 2012.

Reports have also circulated that Apple is now paying retail workers "larger than usual" raises, and the bonuses appear to be an effort to retain employees as the company's fortune continues to skyrocket.

Where would an Apple employee want to go instead?

Microsoft reportedly offered "perks, signing bonuses and promotion opportunities" to retail store workers recently in an attempt to lure them over to the dark side.

Apple to pay Samsung damages, fined in Australia over 4G claims

Posted:

Apple to pay Samsung damages, fined in Australia over 4G claims

Apple has been ordered to pay damages to Samsung in a patent infringement case in the Netherlands.

The court ruled Apple did infringe a Samsung patent relating to how mobiles and tablets connect to the internet. The Dutch court didn't specify how much in damages Apple will have to pay, but they will be calculated based on sales of Apple's iPhone and iPad in the Netherlands.

"Samsung welcomes the court's ruling, which reaffirmed Apple's free-riding of our technological innovation," Samsung said in a statement emailed to the BBC.

"In accordance with the ruling, we will seek adequate compensation for the damages Apple and its products have caused."

Samsung had accused Apple of infringing four patents, but the court ruled it only breached one.

Hot water down under

And over in Australia, Apple has been fined A$2.25m (£1.46m) for advertising the next iPad as able to connect to the 4G network operated by Telstra. Telstra's 4G network uses a frequency the iPad isn't compatible with.

Apple used the same advertising worldwide.

"Apple's desire for global uniformity was given a greater priority than the need to ensure compliance with the Australian consumer law," Judge Mordy Bromberg said. "Conduct of that kind is serious and unacceptable."

Apple had already apologised to any Australian customers it misled, and offered refunds for anyone who bought an iPad expecting speeds it couldn't deliver.

It also changed its advertising in the UK, changing the description of the "Wi-Fi + 4G" model to "Wi-Fi + Cellular".

Via: BBC, Guardian

MacBook Pro 17-inch reaches the end of the line

Posted:

MacBook Pro 17-inch reaches the end of the line

Lost amongst a flurry of exciting announcements at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference 2012 last week was the 17-inch MacBook Pro, which now appears to be headed out to pasture.

Although Apple remained silent on the subject, eagle eyes can find all of the evidence they need to confirm the demise of the biggest notebook the company has ever made.

Apple's retail stores are now completely devoid of the 17-inch MacBook Pro following last Monday's announcement of the MacBook Pro with Retina Display as well as refreshed models of the existing 13-inch and 15-inch classic models.

However, Apple-certified refurbished models continue to be offered online while supplies last - so big-screen fans have one last chance to give a proper eulogy that will only cost $1,689 (and maxing out at $2,159).

Don't call it a comeback

While it's possible that Apple may reintroduce the biggest, baddest laptop of them all at some point in the future, it seems unlikely given the overwhelming popularity of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, especially now that the next-generation model includes a gorgeous, high-definition display.

First introduced as the PowerBook G4 back in January, 2003, the 17-inch model had a pretty good run over the last nine years, despite most users being unable to open, let alone comfortably use one, on an airplane.

So much for being "the ultimate mobile studio"...
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)