First Microsoft Employees Now Gates’ Kids Banned From Apple Products

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Melinda Gates, the wife of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) founder Bill Gates, disclosed that her children are forbidden from possessing Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) products such as iPod. This is not a new policy for the company, as earlier in the year it was reported that Microsoft banned employees from using Apple products.

First Microsoft Employees Now Gates' Kids Banned From Apple Products

The philanthropist said that, though her son and two daughters ask for the Apple products, they only get Windows Technology. She said the wealth in the family came from Microsoft, so there stands no point in investing in the rival’s product.

So far Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has chalked little success trying to compete with Apple’s most popular and successful mobile gadget line up. Last year, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) launched Zune in competition with iPod, but failed miserably. Windows recently has launched Windows phone and Surface RT to compete with iPhone and iPad respectively. Both Microsoft products have been well received, but so far have not gained much of market share against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s head start in Smartphone and tablets.

In 2009, prior to the introduction of Windows Phone in response to the success of the iPhone, Mrs. Gates, 48, confessed that she had been enticed by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) products herself.

“Every now and then I look at my friends and say ‘Ooh, I wouldn’t mind having that iPhone’,” she told Vogue magazine.

In spite of the ban, pictures were in print last year that appeared to show the gates oldest daughter Jennifer, 16, hanging on to an iPhone while jogging in Sydney. Melinda Gates has been the one to inspire her husband, whom she got married in 1994, to give up Microsoft to focus on sharing his enormous wealth for good causes, including the combat against malaria, sustainable agricultural development and HIV research. Mr. Gates had said earlier that he has it in mind to give most of his money away rather than pass it on to his children.

“That wouldn’t be good either for my kids or society,” he said in 2010.

In spite of Microsoft’s rivalry with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Mr. Gates always shared good terms with late Steve Jobs. Subsequent the Apple founder’s death last year, Mr. Gates said that he wrote to Jobs and visited him during his illness.

“I told Steve about how he should feel great about what he had done and the company he had built.”

“There was no peace to make. We were not at war. We made great products, and competition was always a positive thing.”

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