Banned In The Gates Household: iPhones and iPods

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Banned In The Gates Household: iPhones and iPods

In this month’s Vogue, Melinda Gates, the wife of Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) Founder Bill Gates and partner in crime for their worldwide philanthropic activities, talks about the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and in a more light-hearted moment addresses the family’s rivalry with Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), according to Geeksugar.com. Melinda Gates said even she envies the iPhone occasionally, but that “there are very few things that are on the banned list in our household…iPods and iPhones are two things we don’t get for our kids.”

A good follow-up question would have been to ask what’s allowed in the couple’s home away from home—the Foundation. To be sure, it’s not iPhones, and it’s definitely not Research In Motion’s BlackBerry devices. On more than one occasion, we’ve heard Foundation employees gripe about how once Bill Gates learned of the pervasiveness of the BlackBerry in the organization, he swiftly acted to convert most everyone over to Windows Mobile.

Luckily, the Foundation doesn’t appear to have a similar bias when it comes to donations. At Mobile World Congress two weeks ago, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the GSMA announced a program that will expand financial services to people in the developing world through mobile phones (and we doubt they are using Windows Mobile). The Foundation says it is granting the “Mobile Money for the Unbanked” program $12.5 million.

Tricia Duryee

@triciad Mar 2, 2009 8:02 PM ET

Posted In: E-Commerce, Payment Systems, Money, Technologies / Formats, Companies, Apple, iPhone, Microsoft, RIM, bill gates, ipod

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Jen Opalescence

kids need bread not a phone even with windows mobile, and if you a talking about education then they need good e-books but not ipod

Pam Miller

If you work for, or try to sell, Nike would you be so unwise as to wear Adidas clothing or have any of their gear on your person? I think not. Based on what I've heard from people who've worked for Nike you would literally be "hazed" beyond belief.

IMicrosoft stock funds the foundation and the grants, (along with Warren Buffet's money) so it goes without saying that the founders would expect Microsoft products to be used in the organization.

steve

“Windows Mobile Phones, Not iPhones Or BlackBerrys, Being Used To Help Save World”

I like the way they put it . Sounds so cool :P

Kathleen

Yeah, but look at this way. They can get all the Zunes they want for free! And if they ever ask Bill or Melinda, "when will we get iPods?" Bill and Melinda would answer, "Soon… soon."

brian

Ira in LA: "When national law firm Kaye, Scholer represented Pepsi, they insisted that their snack rooms include Coke: They were all about choice in the marketplace, and insisted their own personnel be the beneficiaries of it."

That's a classy move.

Ira in LA

When national law firm Kaye, Scholer represented Pepsi, they insisted that their snack rooms include Coke: They were all about choice in the marketplace, and insisted their own personnel be the beneficiaries of it.
Pity the Gates folks seem to have so little confidence in the choices of their kids. Or their products.

the3stooges

poppycock!

denis

LOL crapple, drink that Kool-Aid

Dave

"Windows Mobile Phones, Not iPhones Or BlackBerrys, Being Used To Help Save World"
WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE EXAGGERATION!!!!!!!
A $12.5 million donation is going to save the world. GET REAL!!!
Just like Bill Gates to pay you to make a misleading title that makes a bit fraudulent connotation. All of the cell phones would do the same job. He bars the rest. Nasty, nasty, nasty!!!