Submitted by Being the brains behind Microsoft has made Bill Gates the wealthiest guy in the world. So he can pretty much afford to buy his kids any gadgets they want. However, Apple devices are banned in the Gates’ house. This is surprisingly not a rule set by Bill Gates. Melinda Gates has made it very clear in an interview with The New York Times that she does not allow Apple hardware in the house. If the kids want an iPod they’ll have to settle for a Zune instead.
I guess this doesn’t surprise me. I suppose if I owned Heinz Catsup, I wouldn’t allow Hunts Catsup to be in my house.
It’s Ketchup you idiot! 🙂
Thanks for the condiment!
I guess this doesn’t surprise me. I suppose if I owned Heinz Catsup, I wouldn’t allow Hunts Catsup to be in my house.
I would. I know I am odd in that sense, but if my children like a competitor’s product better then I wouldn’t mind them using such. After all, their happiness is more important than some unhealthy pride.
Besides, I’d just use the opportunity to ask them why they prefer the competitor: is it looks or such that is only a matter of taste, or is it functionality that’s better somehow or lacking.
It’s pointless to deny things out of pride.
Sadly I don’t think a damaged pride is the only potential victim here.
If a photographer caught one of Bill Gate’s kids with, for example, a MacBook Pro or iPhone instead of a Win7 HP netbook or Windows Phone 7, then that could potentially be a PR disaster: “Even the Gates doesn’t use Microsoft products”
They say you shouldn’t by drugs off someone who isn’t mashed themselves; it rather crude saying I know, but it illustrated this point perfectly. Why should consumers buy into the Microsoft brand if the heads of Microsoft don’t themselves?
So yes, there will be a huge element of pride at play here. But they’re also not looking to hand their competitors some easy promotion.
If a photographer caught one of Bill Gate’s kids with, for example, a MacBook Pro or iPhone instead of a Win7 HP netbook or Windows Phone 7, then that could potentially be a PR disaster: “Even the Gates doesn’t use Microsoft products”
They could just respond that it’s more important to them that people are satisfied than who’s products they’re using, and leave it at that. It’d make them look more humane instead.
Why should consumers buy into the Microsoft brand if the heads of Microsoft don’t themselves?
It’d be their children, not the ‘heads’ as you say, so it’d be a lot easier to dismiss as kids just going with trends.
Oh well, these are the reasons why I’d never make a good businesswoman; I don’t really care about the money, I just want people to be happy. No one wants someone like that at the steering wheel nowadays. :/
They could, but that still doesn’t answer why their own kids would prefer a competitors product
But it’s still the parents money and the kids are under their parents guidance. So by proxy, it’s the heads.
To be honest, I’m the same. I hate all this BS politics. It reminds me of the saying “be seen to do something” which is prominent in my work place (local government). Rather than doing things efficiently they do a kludge because PR matters more than actually doing the job correctly.
Things like this really **** me off and is the reason why I try and support local businesses with a personal touch where I can (unfortunately personal finances don’t always like idealistic principles)
Anyway, I’m starting to sound like Thom on one of his “corporations are evil” rants – so I’m going to stop typing now….
I work in local government too, and I’ll heartily second that observation. It’s especially prominent here, where as our boss is an elected official we must strive to look good in the public’s eye no matter the cost. This has caused some employees to be fired for minor, but public, infractions while others who go so far as to hurt people, get a slap on the wrist because what they did wrong is easily swept under the voters’ radar.
It’s not as bad here as my last employer (also local government) but it still makes me dream of the day I am my own boss.
You are a better person than I. I guess I would worry about the stink that got out, the share holders, stock, employees whose jobs might be lost if it got out that the company owner/president used the competitor’s product.
I agree completely. Plus, wouldn’t it be a good idea to find out just why the kids want Macs/iPads/iPods, instead of just blindly banning them?
I remember reading a few years ago about Apple/non-Microsoft products being banned from the Gates household. The only thing new (and surprising) here is that it’s Melinda’s decision, not Bill’s… but I bet Bill’s got no qualms with it. In fact, he probably silently agrees.
Big deal. As if Jobs allows his kids to be seen with a Windows laptop.
Like he’d even need to make a rule or policy like that.
If daddy is loaded and paying, what kid’s gonna pick a PC laptop over a MacBook Pro even when running Windows?
I was sure I read having a Zune is the new awkwardness that kids get picked on in schools.
Edited 2010-10-24 23:54 UTC
what about a diamond encruted laptop.
http://www.gizmag.com/go/4085/ (US$ 350.000 ouch)
gawd no. Too gaudy for an old guy like me. 🙂
I doubt anyone with half a brain would buy it. I’m sure there’s some moron out there with more money than sense that will though.
Or an android phone
,
But remember he likes Internet Explorer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJqSaQj8iX4 .
But on that article that sound like more a marketing answer than a real one, no sound argument were given about the no use of Apple product . My take would be Apple product are expensive and the Gates are spending too much money on lawyers, accountants, and charities.
How about any kid who wants to play games? There’s no way I would have wanted a Mac when I got my first computer, aged 12. They’re undoubtedly more cool now then they were back then, but the game situation hasn’t yet shifted a single yard.
Hello Steam? There are a LOT of games for Mac, more than what you think and Steam is only making it better. It will take time, but it will slowly start to catch up. When you’re 12, you play with what you get. Back then, a PONG was good for me…
Hello Steam? There are a LOT of games for Mac, more than what you think and Steam is only making it better.
As out-of-topic as it is, Steam is indeed just plain awesome
The little I have tried it on a Mac when I had one it worked just as peachy as on Windows, and it really makes it a breeze to find games. I only wish there was Steam for Linux, too.
I thought there was. :S No penguin <3 I guess.
I thought there was. :S No penguin <3 I guess.
Yeah. I don’t really know why there isn’t one, though. Sure, none of the major blockbusters are available for Linux, but there’s literally thousands of great indie games available on Steam and most of those have Linux versions available. Thus, Valve would already have several thousand games right there waiting if they’d just port Steam over, and once Steam was there the bigger players might also start to show more interest.
My favorite is still the Penumbra-series, especially the newest Amnesia.
I don’t know how old you are, so I can only speak from my own experience. When I was 12, the majority of gaming was done on the NES or at the arcades. As for the personal computer gaming situation, there were more games for Mac than for PC by far back then. The PC gaming revolution didn’t start until a few years later with the release of DOOM, which was PC-only for a while. Even then, some of the best games out there were more popular on the Mac than the PC (Myst comes to mind).
Of course, with the releases of DOOM and Quake for PC, followed by Unreal, Age of Empires, Command and Conquer, Diablo, System Shock and so on, the DOS/Windows PC became the king of gaming outside the console world. Even though some of those games eventually made it to the Mac, it was unfortunately during that awkward phase between their prior success and Jobs’ return. As he was no fan of computer gaming, the Mac game situation never really recovered.
Today, we have major houses like Valve and Blizzard pushing a lot of their most popular games on the Mac alongside the PC versions. In Blizzard’s case, they continue to offer Mac-only enhancements like integrated voice chat and video recording in World of Warcraft. To me it makes sense: Macs are the ultimate consumer home computer, built from the start with entertainment in mind. Why not make them an easily accessible gaming platform too? Especially with the Mac mini, which now very closely resembles a Wii or tiny Xbox with its powerful graphics processor and loads of connectivity options.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a big gaming push in Lion leak out over the coming months, specifically targeting the mini for its dead-simple integration capability in the home theater.
windows and wma wmv docx … are banned in my home
Edited 2010-10-24 23:35 UTC
Same here. Apple products banned here too.
Imagine the paparazzi snapping a photo of a Gates family member surfing the web on a iPad?
Only Apples in my house are Apple 1 (clones), ][, GS and the fresh ones from the grocery. I dont like apple juice also.
Not that I do not like the MAc OS X systems, excellent hardware, and an excellent OS kernel. Just to expensive for me.
iPad is probably a cheapest 10″ tablet (china crap-lets with 5 years old hardware are out of question). New Macbook Air is pretty cheap too.
in my home apple products are not banned i just don’t have money to throw away on things i don’t need
Edited 2010-10-25 20:22 UTC
I refuse to purchase or install any Apple product, as they are complete shit.
iPods need rockbox to be made useful, the iPhone needs gaolbreaking to be made useful, iTunes is seriously ugly (as is the rest of their brushed aluminium rubbish), and quicktime is essentially malware.
Every Apple product has at least one superior alternative.
iPod? Archos media player.
iTunes? Foobar2000
iMac? Linux/Windows custom build.
quicktime? VLC.
iPhone? Android, MeeGo, WinMo7, Blackberry, WebOS.
Itunes doesn’t have brushed metal anymore, and hasn’t for a long time…
I guess not knowing what their current products are like is a good reason not to choose them. I “bag” windows, but only because I use it. I don’t really want to “bag” Windows based on Vista (which was around when iTunes last had brushed metal – LOL)…
Vista was fine after SP1.
Itunes for Windows has been total garbage since its creation.
Correction, iTunes on Windows and MacOS X has been garbage since its creation. iTunes is like the Emacs of the media player world.
Apparently the Microsoft Zune media player on Windows is pretty good at doing what it needs to do – if there was ever something that frustrates me the most its iTunes and the lack of a viable alternative to the iPod Classic of a similar size.
Ah, but Emacs is configurable and works.
http://www.apple.com/itunes/
Still horrible and bloated, but my bad on them removing the brushed from the metal.
I last used snow leopard, and simply hate its restrictive and (IMO) ugly UI.
UI is not just about look, it’s about feel too.
I don’t care anymore if I can make Gnome or KDE sing (even less I care about Fluxbox or whatever), all I care is a good UI that makes me more productive.
And ugly? Well, I don’t think OS X is the prettiest UI I have ever seen, but it’s damn pretty, and it doesn’t get in my way.
And 7 has a good-looking interface, but go to the Control Panel and you’ll see what a mess it is. Again, UI is not just about the looks.
I’m no fan boy but at least until now I think Apple has been the only one making a UI that makes sense.
Assuming you want to do it all yourself. Archos? come on – why the hell would you want to use something with such a horrible reliability track record and bundles an ancient version of a firmware? In New Zealand to get an Archos net tablet you’ll be paying $300 more than an iPod Touch and an ancient version of Android on it – fuck that for a joke.
What you’ve provided is nothing other than, “here is some half baked shit that I’ll use simply to spite Apple” – I don’t give a crap about the company, all I care about is the end result. The simple fact of the matter is that most of Apple’s competitors just don’t have their act together – it is that simple.
I have over 300GB of music (15% or so in FLAC), that is why I would like to use archos.
Admittedly, they are too expensive and too buggy, so I would not buy one, which leaves the media player market completely empty in my eyes.
iPods lack capacity, although with the installation of rockbox to allow FLAC playback and drag+drop, they do become handy.
Not good enough for me to overcome my loathing of the draconic fruit company, though.
This leaves me with chucking the largest microSD I can into my android, and using that with music converted to .ogg.
They do not have their act together?
Dude.
I love foobar2000 and Android, I use them every day.
Same goes for Windows, VLC and Firefox.
Ubuntu is rapidly getting there, and would be my default OS if it played all the games windows can, just as Opera will become my default browser when their extensions become diverse enough.
I like having OPTIONS.
Apple products “just work”, but loathe being customised in the slightest.
Edited 2010-10-25 04:56 UTC
I have a similar situation with my music, 200GB of music and the largest available is a 160GB from Apple which is more reliable than the Archos I bought and died within 2 days of owning it (I bought it via Amazon through a re-mailer so it cost a fortune). Been there, done that and have already experienced the ‘pleasure’ of owning an Archos thank you very much. Add to the fact that they lock down their devices so you can upgrade the hard disk, to some how put *THEM* up as an ‘open alternative’ is a load of crap. You shouldn’t spend time over a the Archos forum to hear the chorus of complaints about it.
Don’t get me started on the lack of availability in New Zealand – come on, get with the fucking programme. This isn’t 1900 for Christ sake, it is 2010 and there is no reason why something should not be available globally on day one other than the company being run by a pack of dickheads unable to work their head around this idea that the internet is a global phenomenon thus there is no reason why you can’t serve people globally.
Which is well outside where the majority of end users sit – the majority of users throw in their CD, rip it, sync with their device then head off to do what they want to do.
Well, good for you – but just because you find something great doesn’t make it a universal. I don’t run Linux for the same reason many people want; we run the operating system that gives us the greatest access to the applications we like and support the hardware we already own. We choose our operating systems not to ‘stick it to the man’ but to get things done. Until Linux advocates drop this conspiratorial crap about Microsoft and accept that they need to fix up Linux then the Linux world is going no where fast – they’ll be like the scene out of ‘Life of Brian’ where the liberation groups are more concerned with fighting each other and holding meetings than actually delivering something to the end user.
By “fix up” do you mean “make like windows”? Because that’s not going to happen.
Anyone who calls for the death of the command line is laughed at by anyone who’s ever actually used it well.
Linux doesn’t need any more users, really. It needs more developers, because it’s moving too fast and the code can’t keep up with demand.
Don’t like the UI? Change it.
Hardware not supported? Get a pre-6XXX ATI video card and/or install proprietary drivers for video. There. Now all your hardware is supported.
Want your favourite applications to run? Pay Adobe a few million dollars and I’m sure they’ll get started on porting CS5… or learn a bit of programming and help with GIMP and Inkscape.
We don’t give a shit about people that aren’t using Linux. In fact, Debian doesn’t care about Arch users. Arch doesn’t care about Gentoo users, and Gentoo doesn’t care about Ubuntu users.
They might have strong opinions on the other distro’s _developers_, but the users? At best they’re looked down upon as misguided, much as Windows users are.
Ubuntu cares about Windows users, because Ubugtu is awful, and does everything else wrong, too.
“FIX IT OR I WON’T USE IT!!!”
“K, bye.”
The ‘evangelistic’ (not putting words in your mouth, just a bit of hyperbole) people are equally misguided. Yes, buying proprietary software is feeding the beast, but you can’t feed a dinosaur that’s trapped in a desert forever. Eventually it will do enough damage to its surrounding environment that it will run out of food source, and die.
Some of us don’t even care if MS/Apple stays around. I think it’s always a good laugh to watch them huff and puff about things.
In Australia for the same price as an iPod touch you can buy this Android tablet:
http://www.pioneercomputers.com.au/products/info.asp?c1=183&c2=185&…
It has a bigger, higher-resolution touchscreen, it supports Google Chrome web browser, and Flash, it has a micro-SD memory slot, a 1.3Mpixel camera, USB ports, G sensor, email and YouTube.
The battery life is not as good as an iPod touch, however.
The main bonus I suppose is that, unlike an iPod touch, the ePad 7 does not list an expensive Mac or PC desktop computer amongst its System requirements.
I presume it wouldn’t be too much trouble for you to buy this in New Zealand. It should certainly work perfectly well enough and be compatible, and warranty etc. should apply.
If you wanted to go a bit up-market, for $130 AUD less than an iPad, you could get this ePad P10 3Dui from the same Australian company:
http://www.pioneercomputers.com.au/products/info.asp?c1=183&c2=185&…
This device runs Android Version: 2.2 (Froyo), it has Flash Support, 3D UI, with Kernel core: 2.6.32, and it features amongst it very nice specs an ARM Cortex A9 dual-core CPU @ 1Ghz and nvidia Tegra graphics.
Apple’s competitors products … are not as well known or as well hyped as Apple’s products.
Edited 2010-10-25 05:15 UTC
I enjoy Apple products. Opinions like yours used to bother me. But then someone pointed out something to me. I’ll share that with you – what do you expect Apple’s reaction to be to your extreme Apple bashing? Well it would be this “Apple thanks you and hopes you continue to enjoy non Apple products. Your choice is our pleasure!” Honestly, Apple doesn’t want you as a customer, so your rant is just pure hyperbole to them. Infuriating, isn’t it? 😛
Infuriating? No
I simply get sick of Apple products being touted as supreme, when I see them as nothing more than supremely limiting and expensive.
But then, my favourite desktop is KDE. I love configuration options.
The main point was that really, not being able to use apple products is no biggie, as most items have plenty of alternatives, which tend to be far less restricted.
Melinda, is that you?
An incredibly narcissistic viewpoint common on OSNews.com. iPods need Rockbox? Not really. They’re MP3 players. They play audio files, and they do it well for an enormous number of people.
iPhones need to be jailbroken to be useful? No, not for millions upon millions of people.
Superior alternatives? Some are valid, some are hysterically funny. Archos? WebOS? Meego? Blackberry? Really? And have you even personally used WinPhone7?
The point is, sheer numbers don’t make a product right; however neither does blind hatred of Apple make them the wrong products for people either.
Your post reads like a sour grapes user experience who goes out of their way to replicate the functionality of Apple products without using Apple products. That’s fine, whatever works for you.
But I seriously have to laugh when I see posts like yours, because it’s so blindingly obvious you’re trolling against Apple as much as Apple evangelists troll for Apple. Neither party is a member of reality.
What if one of their kids would install Linux on their PC? Would they be grounded? Isn’t this a bit fascist? I’m sure Linus’ kids are allowed to use Microsoft and Apple products.
Not really. They’re the parents and if they say no Linux then that’s how it is. Not saying that it would be smart parenting to do so though.
Go procreate and then be the Parent over some kids so we can make a political statement and call you a tad fascist.
…what the hell was that about?
“Maybe they should get a bike”
“A bike!?? I’ll give you a bike!!!”
Repeating a random phrase back at the person with some pronouns and tense changed is just confusing, and doesn’t add anything to a discussion.
The kids of Bill Gates used/use GNU/Linux, search it in Google…
What about Linux?-)
If Apple contributed financially to Melinda Gates Foundation she wouldn’t have a problem with it.
My only thought on reading this item, is I assume people from Microsoft give to the MGF and that is where her and Bill’s priorities are.
Or maybe it’s simply because her husband created Microsoft.
But what about freedom?
Freedom to download code and modify it and compile it. Or just download latest Debian Testing binary and install+use it.
Do children have this freedom in the Gates house? If they don’t have it then what about freedom expression?
I think you misunderstood. They are children. The parents are the guardians. If they say no Apple then it’s no Apple, if they say no Linux then it’s no Linux.
Using Linux isn’t a basic human right, anyway.
Edited 2010-10-25 10:34 UTC
I would say that freedom of speech and freedom of thought cover pretty well the right to install Linux on PC, should child wish it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children‘s_rights#Types_of_rights
This has NOTHING to do with freedom of speech. The children can perfectly express themselves with or without using Linux.
I love and use Linux but this reasoning is absurd.
Children have very, very few rights, including most freedoms guaranteed by the constitution. Mostly this is not noted but I see it constantly, especially in legal battles. Children are non-persons, unless they commit a crime in which case we might decide that 16 is old enough to be treated as an adult (but never for anything where it would help the kid! No, just if it makes us feel better.)
Parents cannot kill or excessively abuse their children (physically anyway) but other than that are their complete owners.
If your children want your competitor’s products, then that should be a sign that your company should buck up its ideas. Banning their products from your home will only blind you to your failures.
An astonishing family story. Like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl1f1-Da0OI
The most important question was never asked during the interview: “WHY“.
Ok so she denies the kids some stuff. So what? Parents do that. As long as we don’t know the reason it’s not news, it’s not a statement, it’s nothing. “Parent denies kids something.” Wow, groundbreaking.
The only way this story would hold any meaning is if she would deny something that’s considered crucial for the kid. “Parent denies kids food”, that’s a story.
Are Apple products now as important as food, is that how it is?
Really? The most important question they didn’t ask Melinda Gates was WHY she didn’t let her kids use Apple products?
Not, say, “do you think we’ll see a cure for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in our lifetimes?” Or “Is billion-dollar philanthropy the solution to the world’s problems, or merely a salve for one’s conscience?”
The New York Times got to ask Melinda Gates 16 questions and FIVE of them were about using Apple products. Christ, way to focus on the big issues.
Not, say, “do you think we’ll see a cure for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in our lifetimes?” Or “Is billion-dollar philanthropy the solution to the world’s problems, or merely a salve for one’s conscience?”
The New York Times got to ask Melinda Gates 16 questions and FIVE of them were about using Apple products. Christ, way to focus on the big issues.
She’s not an expert in any of those fields, hell, she most likely doesn’t know almost anything about them. Why would people ask her about things she doesn’t know about? She can’t even do anything about HIV/ADIS or such other than donate money and hope it’s spent well.
Personally I feel it’d be absolutely pointless to ask her of such.
So… don’t ask the one of the world’s biggest philanthropists questions related to her philanthropy? Yeah, we wouldn’t want the #40 on Forbes’s list of Most Powerful Women in the World to worry her pretty little head about serious things like that. Keep asking her about using Apple products, her true area of expertise.
/sheesh
Did you actually expect real journalism from a deadtree publication?
Sorry, off topic, but I’m wondering why the parent post is highlighted in my browser…? Very strange. Is anyone else seeing this?
I also doubt Archos/Sansa PMPs, Android phones, anything that’s based on FreeNAS…
It’s probably “running microsoft software, or not running software”, which he can totally afford to do.
You got to wonder, when the kids move out on their own are they going to totally binge on Apple products like some kind of tech-fratboy with over controlling parents? I look forward to their fanboy comments on Engadget.
Yo, have you seen the latest Zune? That stick is slickk.
Rumor has it that their kids bob for peaches instead of apples at Halloween. Of course, “bob” may be a bad word also.
Even rich parents make up stupid, arbitrary rules, apparently.
Given that neither Bill nor Melinda, nor any of their kids is actively involved in the design, development, or direction of Microsoft products… it doesn’t really MATTER if they use Apple products or not.
SURE, if Bill was still involved in setting the direction for Microsoft he should be the FIRST one to buy a freakin’ iPod or iPad to find out what all the fuss is about… how it compares to Microsoft products… what it is that Apple’s bringing to the table.
But at this point in their lives? It’s just brand loyalty. They’re not going to feed useful product insight back to MSFT.
So, I think it’s just natural.
Plus.. can you IMAGINE the shit they’d take in the press if their kids were caught with an iPad or whatever?