Last week Apple laid off 2,100 employees, 1,100 in Santa Clara, 500 elsewhere in the U.S., and 500 in other countries. Another 400 layoffs in other counties are scheduled for the next 12 months. The layoffs come as part of a reorganization designed to cut costs and make Apple a tighter, more-focussed company, but whatever the rationale, it's hard to see so many talented workers, including some friends, let go. We at TidBITS wish the best to both those leaving Apple and those remaining.

For those leaving Apple whose talents run toward programming, allow us to suggest that an excellent way to create name recognition in a competitive job market would be to create high-quality shareware. And of course, if you consider the variables that make a shareware program a financial success, quality, timing, distribution, and a sufficiently good cause, helping an out-of-work ex-Apple programmer is distinctly a good cause.