Melinda Gates admits to having iPhone envy

"Every now and then, I look at my friends and say, 'Ooh, I wouldn't mind having that iPhone.'"

--Melinda Gates

A few tech blogs on Monday morning are highlighting some choice quotes from a Melinda Gates interview that appears in the most recent issue of Vogue.

According to the Vogue piece, Bill and Melinda Gates, in addition to making their home a no-iPhone/iPod zone, have forbidden their three children from using the devices (no word on rules for other Apple products).

The article's mainly about the Gates Foundation and how it's trying to solve "hunger in the world." We certainly appreciate that, but we'll stick with the inane superficial stuff here, thank you very much.

LG's LG-GM730 may be Melinda Gates' best option as an iPhone substitute.

(Credit: LG)

"There are very few things that are on the banned list in our household," Gates tells Vogue. "But iPods and iPhones are two things we don't get for our kids." The article goes on to add that "Gates acknowledges the inevitable lure of forbidden fruit." The Microsoft founder's wife also is quoted as saying, "Every now and then, I look at my friends and say, 'Ooh, I wouldn't mind having that iPhone.'"

Of course, if we were doing the interview, the obvious next question would be, "Just what cell phones do you and Bill use?"

With a big alliance in place with LG for Windows Mobile phones, I'm betting that they go with something like LG's upcoming LG-GM730. It certainly looks like an iPhone. On the outside, anyway.

Anybody else want to guess?

[nomsfan]

I'll be willing to bet that none of th kid's xboxes have a red ring issue either. But I regress, not allowing other products of another brand is definitetly a "great" lesson for your children. That's pretty narrow minded of Bill.

[Mr. Dee]

Uh, as long as they are under 18 and live in his house, they are restricted to whatever the parents say. When they are 18 they can decide for themselves. Its parents like you who produce obnoxious loose children. I think Gates is teaching his kids a very important lesson at a young age - loyalty. Its something a lot of us could use these days.

[bdaughtry]

Lighten up Francis.

[infinitely]

Right, Mr. Dee, we should teach kids blind loyalty at all costs without thinking. Apple makes a superior product and if the kids want it, there should be no artificial bars against them having it. The fact is, forcing them to suffer with Microsoft products for no reason other than blind loyalty is stupid and it's a horrible message to send to children.

[kaibelf]

Yes watch out! Make your kids use your crapola products, or you're a bad parent! Mr. Dee, seriously, get a life.

[8301]

To be honest, he shouldn't have to disallow Apple products in his home. If my father so much as swept the floors at Microsoft I'd be sure to support them by buying their products over a competitor's. But maybe it's different when your dad has a twelve-digit net worth.

In any case, this happens with some employees of every company. I'm sure there's someone at Apple who has a PC at home, or who's been irked that their kids are playing an Xbox.

[c4s2k3]

Mr. Dee, while I agree parents have every right to set house rules, there is no valuable lesson being taught here. If anything, I would want my child to learn that "loyalty" should be earned, not forcibly exercised.

[thelemurking]

If I was the child of a multi-billionaire... I don't think I would be too upset about not being allowed to own an iPhone or an iPod. I would imagine I would have pretty much anything else I wanted.

Dude, check out my iPhone... oh yeah? Well my dad bought me a sailboat, a Tesla roadster and backstage passes for Radiohead, to make up for this Zune.

Can you imagine how awful it would be ;)

[bootchmagoo]

My wife's father was a high-level executive for Coca-Cola when we were in high school. Needless to say, non-Coke products were not allowed in the house. I couldn't even come in the house with a non-Coke product. While it sounds strange to some, her father could have lost his job had one of the "higher ups" found out there were non-Coke products in the house.

So, the no iPhone/iPod rule doesn't surprise me at all. Seems like par for the course.

The iphone, a superior product? If anyone suffers here from blind loyalty, it's you, infinitely. As good ol' Maddox put it, the iphone is a peice of [poop], and so is your face.

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=iphone

[eadeguzman]

c4s2k3 -- I agree with Mr. Dee that this is about brand loyalty.

Loyalty does not necessarily have to earned for you to exercise it. But having said that, the Gates' wealth came from Microsoft technologies... what more do they have to earn?

It will be a scandal if you see Michael Jordan jogging down the street wearing a Reebok shoe. It's the same for the Gates' kids.

It's going to be complicated for their kids... as some folks would be scandalized and they might be forced to answer a lot of questions, etc... Would you want your kids to go through that?

[TurboGeak]

The phone other than a iphone is a samsung instinct, my girlfriend owns this phone but I do love the design of the Iphone.

I bet ole Steve ballmer uses an iphone and owns an Ipod touch. I would to see an zune touch away with the button's already.

[sanenazok]

Most grown ups don't spend all their time watching videos and fidgeting around phones. Blackberries and work come before pretty icons.

[thelemurking]

Dude, don't get me started on all the downfalls of the Instinct. That phone has been a disappointment since it's June release. I'm on my 5th one now. Instead of Sprint actually correcting problems with the firmware updates, they think that by simply swapping out the phone will be the cure-all / end-all. But changing one phone with a problem for another one with a problem still means you have a phone with a problem, just one is newer than the other.

There's so many issues with the Instinct... I had to buy an iPod Touch just to get some level of mobile functionality.

[ewelch]

That is kind of a pathetic insecurity that demonstrates just how little confidence Gates and wife have in the products that built their lives.

No doubt it's more because the tongue-wagging wing of the tech media would make such a big deal out of it that it would be an embarrassment to Microsoft. Yet another condemnation of their "good enough" philosophy at Microsoft. Ignore reality to avoid admitting the truth. Their products are sub-par compared to products from a company that actually cares about quality more than profits. (And yet, the profits per unit sold are better than at the competition. Go figure.)

[David Dudley]

I don't think it's a confidence issue, they just don't see a point in using their own cash to increase marketshare of a competitor. You certainly would not espouse Apple to use Dell servers in their internal infrastructure despite opinions of what is "superior" or otherwise, right?

Microsoft has consistently espoused the concept of "eating their own dog food" and it most likely came from the top down.

[aka_tripleB]

At least Mr. Gates says that his family has to use Windows. I'm sure the two Steves force Apple on their children, the only difference is they "beat" their children in private. But before you start arguing Apple is "better," the issue isn't what is better, but a matter of everyone is suppose to have free will. So, being forced to use Apple isn't any better in that regard. Of course, it is a little different if the kids aren't paying for their things themselves; then the parents do get to have say in what they get. Although, I doubt the kids mooch off their parents other than for typical parent expenses (i.g. education, food, shelter, etc.).

[atomD21]

ewelch, since when does any company care about quality over profits? Apple is just the same as any other corporation out there. The bottom line and the shareholders are what matters, and if that means making lower quality stuff, that's what they'll do. I don't know where consumers get this idea that companies actually care about us other than keeping us buying their stuff.

[BFlow1177]

I'm pretty sure I recall the "Big Brother" moment when Bill appeared via web cam during a Apple Keynote and helped announce that they were injecting a large amount of cash into Apple (by way of buying stock) to help Apple stay afloat. Of course, that was just to keep competition to avoid anti-trust issues, but hey whatever.

So I guess buying the kid a $300 ipod would bolster Apple to much and bring M$ down right?

[Donniebrasco]

I don't think its insecurity, she is merely saying that the iPhone is a neat gadget. Its normal for companies to admit that another product has merits. It gives them something to strive to. When Toyota was creating Lexus they made no secret as to who they were targeting and essentially copying. Same with Hyundai today. Execs from GM and Ford have been quoted as praising products from Toyota, Honda, etc. Nothing wrong or new about what Melinda Gates said. Plus she is his wife, maybe if Bill Gates said he really wishes he had an iPhone it would be a bigger deal. Even still, its not like she said she prefers OSX to Vista.

[ddhboy]

Wait till one of his kids installs an Ubuntu partition. Would love to see that fight.

[bdaughtry]

If Billy was smart, his kids would have been one of the first to get ipods & iphones. Then Microsoft would perhaps not be so far behind. His kids could have given him some valuable feedback.

[viper396]

...and if you were smart you would have realized his kids would have been too young when the original iPod's came out. There's not much usefull feedback they could have given. I doubt even Apple would put much faith in the opinions of 4~6 year olds.

[t8]

Ha ha. Nice one.

[mike_3172]

Given that it's kids they're probably banning *any* phone. I'm sure the original source took it a bit out of context.

[dragonbite]

That was my first thought. It may not be so much an anti-Apple thinking as it is anti-tune-out-music player and constant-texting-distraction-iPhone.

Otherwise, this is not news anyway because somebody involved in a product will natrually prefer that product over anything else and make it so in the household. Kinda like how many Japanese cars do you expect to see in the GM parking lot?

[YankeePoodle]

Speaking of Japanese cars in GM parking lot, I once had the opportunity of visiting UAW building, they had a strict warning for the parking lot, no foreign cars. It does fall under discrimination law? may be because it is private property, but it was funny. Speaking of Gates kids, my dad worked in a bank and I still only bank with them even though other banks are conveniently located. It is just one of those things some people take personally and some don't.

[atomD21]

Yankeepoodle, I drove by a UAW building once and parked right under their "Buy American" sign was a Hyundai Sonata.

[atomD21]

Addition to first post... I thought that (the Hyundai) was pretty funny. I wasn't trying to be rude or anything.

[UKStory1355]

Hyundai Sonatas are made in Alabama.

[rapier1]

Wow. People (including myself) really have nothing better to do today do they? Yeah, Bill Gates won't buy his children an iPhone. So what? Do you think Steve Jobs is buying all of his kids Zunes or Instincts?

[Argyll]

The problem isn't that somethings are banned in the house. The problem is the reason for the ban. It's not because cell phones are bad, it's because Apple's iPhone competes against the MS bread and butter of LG (and others) with Windows Mobile.

If Gates truly had brains, he have one just to compare between his products and the competition. But then he'd be copying even more from Apple when he saw the superiority of the Apple product line.

[viper396]

Interesting how you try to accuse Gate of not having brains. (being one of the wealthiest people on the planet he certainly has more brains then you). Are you actually so narrow-minded and stupid as to assume Microsoft or any company as a whole does not check out and purchase each other's products for research and/or comparison purposes? You're completely stupid for assuming that Gate does not.

[bigmc6000]

Viper - saying intelligence is a direct correlation to intelligence is, ironically enough, terribly stupid of you. You think all you have to do is be smart to be rich? You don't have to get quite a few lucky breaks along that way? I'm not doubting that Bill Gates is a very intelligent person but to so his money is proof of that is ludicrous...

[bigmc6000]

Whoops - should have been "saying wealth is a direct correlation to intelligence..." and "but to say his money..."

You guys really need an edit button FYI...

[zmonster]

I find it utterly ridiculous that Gates will not "allow" his children to get an iPod or iPhone. I thought Microsoft was supposed to be an 'open standards' company. You know, you use the technologies that work best for you, and the technologies that you like. If his kids want an iPod, they should be able to get one. Maybe buy one with their allowance money. Jeez.

[dragonbite]

<sarcasm>
Oh my gosh, how will civilization survive without an MP3 player?!! Get Cell Phones into every child's hands or our very existence is in peril! Frag the economy, we need more phones!
</sarcasm>

[DrtyDogg]

Open standards, I hope you where being sacastic.

[RighteousSoutherner]

Oh come on, Bill. I've been an admirer of your for years. You ought to let a little of the competition into you life. Who knows you might grow to like and end up buying Apple one day. Hee, hee.

[seven7dust]

no they can't really afford apple, they need a lot more money

[dbloyd]

Why doesn't Microsoft just buy Apple?

[Norseman]

There's a scary thought that will keep me awake tonight. And when I do get to sleep, I'll have nightmares about brown iPods.

[atticus_furx]

Micosoft already owns part of apple... since mid 90's.

I really dont understand why everyone keeps saying that Apple has a superior quailty product... Microsoft builds stuff "for the masses"... a $300 netbook with xp is more affordable than a $1800 macbook air... and does pretty much the same thing. are you going to compare a Jetta to an Audi R8?

Besides, sure, windows has issues, but they are capable of operating on many hardware configurations, which is something apple can't do, I'm sure that if MS started building their own systems they could really compete with the quality of apple products... No other phone has OSX running, and many phones with different hardware configurations can run Windows Mobile 6...

Now, on the Gates issue... uhm... i don't know about their children, but I've been trying to get rid of my damn ipod classic an get a 120 zune for over a year now

[pithenumber]

@dbloyd
MS doesn't have enough cash

Apple has cash since they have the Apple Tax and fanboys to pay it

[t8]

I think their bank balances are equable. So Apple might be able to buy Microsoft. If that happened, they should discontinue Vista.

[nickh2]

"Micosoft already owns part of apple..."

No. They were non voting shares and sold off many years ago.

[JCPayne]

The Microsoft stake in Apple was sold off as stated... Perhaps Apple should buy Yahooo....

[linuxgeek90]

IMO it's very dumb of Bill. But hey, now the children can learn some lessons that most kids nowadays never get a chance to learn.

[abcd9009]

Sucks to be the kids in the Gates family. This is just issue for the cell phone. What about PS3 vs 360 or Antivirus - OneCare vs Norton/McAfee? I would leave the kids out of the corporate rivalry between Microsoft and the "rest of the World".
This has nothing to do with who's product is superior. If the Gates kids are found using non-MSFT product, as ironic as it sounds it would be on TMZ.
It's like asking Jobs to use Word instead of Pages even though Word is the industry standard and there are countless things you can do in Word which are not available in Pages (not that I am saying Pages is not good - just not as powerful as Word).
At the end, this all comes down to PR.

[t8]

They won't be able to get a job in IT, unless it is Microsoft as they have no experience with IT products outside of MS.

[monkeyfun14]

@t8

They have billions in inheritance who says they need to work?

[myles taylor]

What are they afraid of? If they want to have them, then get them. Usually when someone bans something, it's because they are afraid it's better. If they are so sure their devices are better, then why not let their kids get whatever they want? They will inevitably come back to Microsoft products if they actually are better.

[bmukund]

I guess its hard for MSFT to buy AAPL when the market cap of Apple is > half of Microsoft's! Theoretically possible but practically impossible. More likely that Microsoft will wither away like IBM (their software business at least) making products customers dont want but are forced by IT departments to buy for the next few decades. IBM of course has figured out a way to profit from that brute force method - Services. Microsoft had better find one fast!

[gsekse]

Actually it seems just perfect that Gates doesn't allow competitors in his home. This explains why he can't seem to understand the finer points of his competition's edge over him. I would use a iPod/touch/phone all the time, just to know the good/bad/ugly/beautiful of my competitor's product line. Then I would use that experience in the work up of my next product.

[BlitzBoy1120]

Although it must suck for the kids not to have an Apple product, you gotta understand. Bill Gates doesn't support Apple. Buying a product and liking it (which I'm sure his children would) shows support. Then they would be broadcast all over the news, putting them in the center of the world's tarnished media, but his company would flop too. It doesn't sound too fair, but I guess its for the best, no?

[Eludium-Q36]

Ha, because of her statements those kids are going to get swamped with Apple products on every occasion (birthday, Cmas, championships, awards, etc) of their childhood now!

[tgrenier]

Loyalty is tops in my book. The rest of you can go fishing with Fredo any time you like.

[gavino96]

Give it a break guys! It would embarrassing for Gates to allow his family the use of a competitor's product. It's all about business image. Can you imagine the media attention he would get if his wife or kids are photographed with an iPod or iPhone? I'm sure he's considered that when he "laid down the law" regarding Apple's products. You think Steve Jobs would allow his family to walk around with a Zune or a WinMo phone?

[planblove]

I agree, so many people here fail to see that point, guess they need a major company to run to figure that out. Besides, its just a cell phone/mp3 player. Hell, if my father was Bill Gates I'd happliy "settle" for a smartphone running windows mobile.

[t8]

If my old man was Gates, I would insist on a iPhone or I would run away.

[iroq321]

it's very common sense...which looks like a lot of these posters are lacking a bit.