Bill and Melinda Gates: No Apple gear in our house

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Melinda Gates, wife of the Microsoft co-founder, won’t use an iPhone or iPod. Credit: Virginia Mayo / Associated Press.

One of the richest women in the world covets an iPhone. But she’s not allowed to have one.

Melinda Gates -- yes, of Microsoft’s Gates family -- is quoted in the latest issue of Vogue magazine as saying, ‘Every now and then I look at my friends and say, ‘Ooh, I wouldn’t mind having that iPhone.’ ‘

However, she and husband Bill Gates -- who co-founded the Microsoft empire, which is of course the archenemy of Apple -- have a policy against iPods and iPhones.

‘There are very few things that are on the banned list in our household,’ Melinda Gates said. ‘But iPods and iPhones are two things we don’t get for our kids.’

Which probably makes the Gates offspring the only ones at school with Microsoft’s Zune music players. Poor kids.

-- David Colker