Apple rewards employees with free iPod shuffles

The quickest way to get your hands on an iPod shuffle these days? Work for Apple. In the coming weeks, the company will be giving away free 1GB iPod shuffles to every single employee by the end of the month.

Is this a tres cool perk from a tres cool company, or is it an attempt to weasel out of other, less cosmetic benefits?
"Seeing as last year we all received additional vacation time, an iPod shuffle is a small investment for a company to reward its employees for the best quarter in our history," one employee had to say in response.

What say you: perk or prank?