Pros
* It's a big company with a lot of diverse products, so if you're an engineer then chances are good you will find some interesting job opportunities. Moving around within the company to work on different technologies is not discouraged and I've seen a number of engineers do it. * Good market penetration, meaning that most likely whatever you are working on either is or will be shipping in good quantities to major customers. This can be a nice change of pace after working at startup companies who may not have been able to get much traction. It's nice to be able to list a bunch of gadgets that everyone has heard of, which contain software/chips that you have worked on. * Base compensation is at best average, but stock plans (restricted stock, stock options, ESPP) augment the salary pretty nicely, especially after a few years of additional stock grants. Cash bonuses are paid to good performers - not huge ones, but still welcome. * Raises for good performers are pretty competitive, promotions seem to be fairly distributed to those who have earned them. * Company has a bit of a reputation as a sweatshop, but this depends very strongly upon which group you are in. No one in my group works weekends or ridiculous hours, nor are we expected to. Managers (in my group, at least) do a very good job at defining schedules that are ambitious but achievable without "death marches". * Schedules and work arrangements are very flexible. Lots of people work from home much of the time, no mandate to be at work during specific hours other than to participate in meetings, which are mercifully few. * Better than average engineers, both in terms of core knowledge and in terms of work ethic and engineering judgment. Not much deadwood, unlike some places I've worked.
Cons
* Stingy vacation time: 2 weeks to start with, +1 day per year of service, up to 4 weeks maximum. An extra week wouldn't kill them, and it would greatly improve quality of life for employees. * Jobs are very concentrated in California. It would be cool to see a presence in some of the other tech hubs around the country. * Cafeteria has gone way downhill: more expensive, crappier food.
