According to a recent interview given by Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft pioneer Bill Gates, Apple's iPhone and iPod are two devices that are not permitted in the Gates household.I think the quote says it all. Speaking to Vogue magazine, Mrs. 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."

The iPhone and iPod, made by Apple, are products that compete directly with Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform and Zune media player. Bill Gates' children can no doubt get their hands on pretty much any Microsoft technology they might want.

I think it's a fair "ban," given Bill Gates' career at Microsoft. My father works for Eastman Kodak. When we still shot pictures on film, Fuji film wasn't exactly banned, but there was an unstated rule that we should buy only Kodak film. There's nothing wrong with supporting the company that pays your bills, or rooting for the home team, in a sense.

But apparently that sense of supporting the home team doesn't mean Mrs. Gates hasn't been tempted by the dark side. She also told Vogue, "Every now and then I look at my friends and say 'Ooh, I wouldn't mind having that iPhone'."