Apple Launches Improved Employee Hardware Discount Program for Mac and iPad

Back in January, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced to employees that the company would begin a new hardware discount program in June, offering employees $500 off a Mac (excluding the Mac mini) or $250 off an iPad.

In line with that schedule, 9to5Mac reports that the new program has now gone live. As had been previously claimed, the discount is available to employees who have worked at Apple for at least 90 days, can be used once every three years, and can be stacked upon existing 25% employee discounts on hardware.

Unfortunately for those Apple employees looking to apply the discount to the new Retina MacBook Pro, the model is not included in the program and is not even available through the employee purchasing portal. This is typical for new Apple products, and with supplies remaining tight for consumers it may be some time before availability loosens up enough for Apple to add it to the employee purchasing program.

The enhanced hardware purchase program comes as Apple's retail store staff has begun seeing salary increases of as much as 25% depending on market and performance. Those raises are set to go into effect in mid-July.