Melinda Gates eyes Apple’s forbidden fruits
Mrs. Microsoft says that iPods or iPhones are on a list of things that are banned in their home and for their children. Still, she admits in a recent interview that she wouldn’t mind having one of Apple’s fashionable and stylish smart phones.
There are good and bad, in a relative sense, things about being a child of Bill and Melinda Gates. For example, a sign that these two parents of means might have their feet on the ground comes via a quote from Mrs. Gates younger brother, Raymond French (via Vogue):
It is essential to them that those kids have as regular a childhood as possible. They go to parks, have playdates and sleep-overs. Melinda is fierce about this. There will be no bubble for them; these children will not turn out to be Paris Hilton.
That was reassuringly harsh and, honestly, what day is complete without a heaping helping of scorn for Miss Hilton, who most certainly does have an iPhone? Well put, Mr French.
Anything you want except…
Still, not everything in the Gates 48,000 square foot shack is that reasonable and grounded. It turns out Mr and Mrs Gates put limits on their kids that have little to do with either love or reason. Melinda Gates said:
There are very few things that are on the banned list in our household. But iPods and iPhones are two things we don’t get for our kids. Every now and then I look at my friends and say, ‘Ooh, I wouldn’t mind having that iPhone.’
In a world where Guantanamo detainees have better healthcare than the majority of Americans making less than $40,000 a year, I’m sure the Gates’ insistence that their children face their peers without iPods or iPhones violates the Geneva convention or some other international human rights convention.
Then again, perhaps Mrs Gates is talking to keep up appearances? That is, it wouldn’t surprise me if she really did have an iPhone. Honestly, what’s the point of being rich if you can’t have what you want…
What’s your take?
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March 2nd, 2009
I am a big Microsoft hater and I would ban apple products in my house too. As a matter of fact I have boycotted Apple products after seeing the monopoly of Apple, with its iPhone, is far worse than Microsoft ever did.
I did not ban iPod in my house yet but was glad to see my daughter herself tossed it within a week after buying it. I used to buy Apple products because they were cool products not because I belong to a cult and will say yes to everything right and wrong they do.
March 4th, 2009
Here’s something I don’t get. Microsoft makes software, primarily, and has been one of Apple’s greatest allies in Macintosh support (although it often seems as if they are rivals, that’s only true in the operating system field).
Not that Mr. Gates has need for cash, his old company does. Rather than bash the hardware of a competitor (where Microsoft doesn’t compete directly) why aren’t they revving up their software engineers to make inspired Microsoft apps for the iPhone OS?
Despite Microsoft’s goal to support its own Windows Mobile OS and its nascent app system, it’s not like Microsoft doesn’t make cash in selling Office 2008 for Mac while also selling Office 2007 for Windows. Microsoft could make impressive Office 2007 readers or editors, a Remote Desktop tool, even port old games it had for pennies of time and for a lot of profit. Mac users like to pick on Microsoft, but we buy their stuff when it suits our needs.
So far, all we have from them is SeaDragon Mobile. That’s pretty pitiful. Hopefully, Microsoft is listening and will see a profit opportunity (which they can funnel later into their own competing product) rather than be childish–especially in this market.
March 4th, 2009
Microsoft is suffering a bad case of “not invented here” syndrome.
March 7th, 2009
I doubt if Steve Jobs lets his kids use Office.
March 14th, 2009
Hey, I think that with all that said about Microsoft, its time for me to shoot on Apple. Apple is good, but seriously we should accept the fact that Microsoft is the market leader and the world cannot live with Microsoft and its products and we will be fine without apple. Microsoft is like a necessity, Apple is like a luxury. Needs Vs Wants! I would pity Steve Jobs if he needs to ban his kids from using Microsoft Products, coz that sounds like many nos … lols …. on the other hand banning apple products is nothing much. Alot of people do not have apple products.
And then also, stop bootlicking apple as without microsoft, will we be in this computing internet information explosion era? microsoft gave us everything!