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No iPods, iPhones allowed in Gates household - Page 2

post #41 of 71
3/2/09 at 12:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by user_23 View Post

well, yeah...there's a wee bit of scandal hovering around the B&MGF...

but, would you rather it disappear? Sure, Bill's pockets are growing fatter through charity (purportedly) - but, the people on the receiving end of that charity also benefit. Causing more harm than good? Not likely. In fact, at least one extremely helpful organization in my city would fail if it weren't for the B&MGF.

Yeah, I find it odd that in a thread where people are bashing the Gates' for not letting their kids have the choice of using an iPod, anyone who dares say anything remotely good about Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, or the B&MGF is taken to the woodshed.

Any charitable organization of that size is going to have the occasional problem, and, if it's well managed, it's also going to have to rely on some corporate partnerships and controls to effectively work on its mission. So what if poor kids have to use Windows or a certain brand of medication? It's much, much, much better than the alternative.

I use Windows all day at my job, and I can't say it's ever been a major impediment to getting things done (my dinosaur of a Dell, on the other hand...). So I'm pretty sure it can meet the needs of some kid in the developing world.

I think it's totally fair to mock Bill Gates' ignorant statements about Apple products, about technology in general, and about the products the company he founded produces. And it's also fair to point out flaws in his charitable foundation. But to dismiss the man as some crook, to express emotions that seem to border on personal hatred toward a man none of us have met, seems extreme.
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27" 3.06 GHz iMac

16 GB iPhone 4
80 GB iPod Classic
1 GB 2nd Gen iPod Shuffle

Apple TV (2nd gen)
Apple TV (1st gen 40 GB)
AirPort Extreme Base Station (802.11n)
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post #42 of 71
3/2/09 at 12:22pm
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Originally Posted by user_23 View Post

http://hideapod.com/

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post #43 of 71
3/2/09 at 12:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bumblbee3 View Post

Interesting.

Steve Jobs Net Worth: US $5.4 Billion (2008 Forbes)

Bill Gates Net Worth: US$58 Billion (2008) and it was larger back in 1999 when he started the Gates foundation with 4.8 billion. I think he was over 100 billion then. And I know a good bit of the Gates foundation was augmented in 2006 by a huge donation from Warren Buffet.

I wonder as a percentage of their net worth, which one (Bill or Steve) has given more to charity. I guess it is possible that BG has been publicizing his giving and SJ has kept his under the radar. It would certainly match up with SJ desire for privacy. But certainly in terms of sheer amount, BG is to be lauded for the amount of money he has funneled into charitable foundations.

Certainly this article thinks there is no comparison (http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/com.../2006/01/70072)
but I do wonder where the truth is.

Actually this was already (un)revealed by SJ in an interview to Playboy back in the 80s (when he had just become a billionaire).

The reporter asked him about his charitable actions; then he said he helped some institutions/people, but declined to specify that in any way. He does NOT need to publicize his deeds, and surely does not to buy his way into Heaven as BG does (after, of course, a boatload of money received from monopolistic practices and tied assistance from his "partner" companies)...

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post #44 of 71
3/2/09 at 12:29pm
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Originally Posted by quinney View Post

..... and partially a futile attempt to buy his way into heaven.

Ouch.

I haven't laughed out louder in a long time!
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post #45 of 71
3/2/09 at 12:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelander51 View Post

Funny that no one commented on this so far. The same can not be said of SJ - donating all his fortune...

In all the MS bashing one should not forget that at the end of the day BG is committed on donating most if not all his fortune to those who need it. He is one of the largest AIDS research and Malaria vaccination donors in the world, literally saving hundreds of thousands of kids from death.

Maybe his products are not as hip as Apple's (for sure they're not) but his intentions are laudable. Maybe SJ should try topping him ;-)

I'll comment on it.
The Gates' philanthropic efforts are two things...
1) Good Public Relations for the Beast
2) An attempt to ensure that his legacy isn't "the guy who screwed up the personal computer industry for its first three decades"

Carnegie is remembered for building a concert hall and a university not for his bad business dealings.

It is also important to remember that Bill hasn't given away his fortune. He has simply shifted it from his personal accounts to HIS charity which HE runs.
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post #46 of 71
3/2/09 at 12:53pm
Apple should send a box full of Apple stuff to the kids with a giant red ribbon - full of iPods and computers monogrammed with their own initials instead of an Apple logo.
And then Bill can be heartless enough to send it away, at which point his kids would grow up secretly hating Microsoft. They would then go work for Apple when they finish school and take over after Steve Jobs, and usher in Apple's greatest era of development.
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post #47 of 71
3/2/09 at 1:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 801 View Post

On the other hand, the rumor is that Steve Jobs forces his kids to use a Zune then they misbehave, which has cut down on disciplinary problems considerabley in the Jobs household.

LOL this if funny. I must try this on my niece and nephew.

A
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post #48 of 71
3/2/09 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hombrephaty View Post

That's nothing. At Ballmer's house, you can't eat apples or play Apples to Apples. Or use the word "google", even when referring to eyes. Or use Sony products. Or use deodorant (this one has nothing to do with competition, but is simply one of Steve's rules).

I see you only have 4 posts, you need to post more!
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post #49 of 71
3/2/09 at 1:08pm
It strikes me as pretty "crazy control freak" for him to even give a crap about something like whether his wife or kids use Apple products. Give me a break. Well, I guess being married to/child of a billionaire has other perks. Something tells me not every last cent will be given away...
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post #50 of 71
3/2/09 at 1:18pm
I remember reading a couple of years back a similar article in which Ballmer said his kids cant have an iPod or use Google
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post #51 of 71
3/2/09 at 1:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 801 View Post

On the other hand, the rumor is that Steve Jobs forces his kids to use a Zune then they misbehave, which has cut down on disciplinary problems considerabley in the Jobs household.

On a completely unrelated note, Steve Jobs' daughter is hot.

In Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. Theres just no consistency. Its just a big grab bag of monkey...
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In Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. Theres just no consistency. Its just a big grab bag of monkey...
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post #52 of 71
3/2/09 at 1:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelander51 View Post

In all the MS bashing one should not forget that at the end of the day BG is committed on donating most if not all his fortune to those who need it. He is one of the largest AIDS research and Malaria vaccination donors in the world, literally saving hundreds of thousands of kids from death.

Maybe his products are not as hip as Apple's (for sure they're not) but his intentions are laudable. Maybe SJ should try topping him ;-)

That is BS. The foundation is just a tax dodge and a way to keep control of m$ft. It all came about as a way to put a positive image on the criminal when they were being investigated by the Feds. Yes they make donations to keep their tax exemption, but that is about it. So spare us the empathy cr@p, gates does not deserve it at all.

As to their products, it's not a question of hipness, it's a question of junkware.
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post #53 of 71
3/2/09 at 1:52pm
"Melinda Gates told Vogue in a recent interview that the couple's three children try to have "as regular a childhood as possible,", but that doesn't include Apple's ubiquitous iPod digital music and video player or its cellular companion, the iPhone."

There's nothing quite like making your children feeling normal by banning the most ubiquitous music player known to man from your household!!


Whattya wanna bet that they all secretly have one stashed away in their underwear drawer or under their bed or both!!

Is Bill Gates really that big of a megalomaniacal freak?!?
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post #54 of 71
3/2/09 at 1:59pm
Let's face it, Gates could cure AIDs and cancer single handedly and some people on here would still think that everything he does is a tax dodge.

Surely people trying to avoid tax don't give away all of their money? That is Bill's stated intention.
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post #55 of 71
3/2/09 at 2:02pm
And would someone please explain why one would call a press conference every time a donation is made? I thought the whole idea of "giving" was to do it and go on.....not self aggrandizement. \
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Be who you are and say what you feel,
because those who mind don't matter and
those who matter don't mind
--Dr. Seuss
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post #56 of 71
3/2/09 at 2:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichL View Post

Let's face it, Gates could cure AIDs and cancer single handedly and some people on here would still think that everything he does is a tax dodge.

Surely people trying to avoid tax don't give away all of their money? That is Bill's stated intention.

...and some people hold on to a perception even in the face of evidence to the contrary. As it happens, I'm going to give away every single last penny I possess, and that's not BS, it's all written down in a document entitled 'Last Will and Testament'.
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Believe nothing, no matter where you heard it, not even if I have said it, if it does not agree with your own reason and your own common sense.
Buddha
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post #57 of 71
3/2/09 at 2:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelander51 View Post

Funny that no one commented on this so far. The same can not be said of SJ - donating all his fortune...

In all the MS bashing one should not forget that at the end of the day BG is committed on donating most if not all his fortune to those who need it. He is one of the largest AIDS research and Malaria vaccination donors in the world, literally saving hundreds of thousands of kids from death.

Maybe his products are not as hip as Apple's (for sure they're not) but his intentions are laudable. Maybe SJ should try topping him ;-)

If overnight Hitler became a humanitarian I wouldn't let him off the hook in a hurry either.
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post #58 of 71
3/2/09 at 2:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bumblbee3 View Post

Interesting.

I wonder as a percentage of their net worth, which one (Bill or Steve) has given more to charity. I guess it is possible that BG has been publicizing his giving and SJ has kept his under the radar. It would certainly match up with SJ desire for privacy. But certainly in terms of sheer amount, BG is to be lauded for the amount of money he has funneled into charitable foundations.

It does not matter. Even if Bill Gates gave away all of his wealth, and ended world hunger, he would still be evil and Steve Jobs would still be better. In the fanboi universe...
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post #59 of 71
3/2/09 at 3:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichL View Post

... Surely people trying to avoid tax don't give away all of their money? That is Bill's stated intention.

I don't remember Mr. Gates ever saying he was going to give away all his money. As has been noted previously, he transfers money to the foundation that gives it away. He still has billions and billions of his own money and he's not going to go on government assistance or get a job at the local burger king or anything.
In Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. Theres just no consistency. Its just a big grab bag of monkey...
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In Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. Theres just no consistency. Its just a big grab bag of monkey...
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post #60 of 71
3/2/09 at 4:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2 View Post

I don't remember Mr. Gates ever saying he was going to give away all his money. As has been noted previously, he transfers money to the foundation that gives it away. He still has billions and billions of his own money and he's not going to go on government assistance or get a job at the local burger king or anything.

Source.

In other words, the majority of his money will be left to charitable causes when he dies. There won't be a Paris Gates.
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post #61 of 71
3/2/09 at 5:29pm
I am sure Paris Hilton has gotten laid in a Motel 8.
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post #62 of 71
3/2/09 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoNomad View Post

Exactly...maybe they should pick up an Apple products once in a while and see the difference. Apple certainly does not have any policy against using competitor products...if employees do use them it just means that the Apple products aren't good enough and need to be made better. Apple has its ear to the ground and thats why they kick ass.

Apple stores use Windows handheld point-of-sale devices. rom the Wall Street Journal-Microsoft has begun testing a revamped version of its Internet search service, dubbed Kumo.com, as the software giant tries to improve its third-place position in the online search market.
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post #63 of 71
3/2/09 at 6:55pm
i dont blame Bill. Microsoft all in one!
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post #64 of 71
3/2/09 at 7:12pm
If you're going to give away all the money, then get the damn kinds iPhones. It's not as if they're going to work for MS, ever, and it doesn't look like they're going to get the benefit, either.
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post #65 of 71
3/2/09 at 8:27pm
Why is everyone so shocked by this? If Bill Gates or anyone in his family were seen using Apple products it would be a very, very expensive PR disaster for Microsoft. Bill Gates and his wife really don't have any choice.
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post #66 of 71
3/3/09 at 12:36am
Exactly. It would be mucho embarassing, if his own kids didn't even use his products. And as long as he's paying for his kids computers, MP3 players and phones, I don't see anything wrong with that. I bet there's plenty of parents who think Apple products are too expensive and unnecessary. Should they all get their kids taken away?

If the kids started working in a 7/11 to earn money and buy their own damn iPod, and wouldn't be allowed to, now that would be pretty mean. But I'd wager the kids don't want one that badly...

Ballmer doesn't allow his kids to use google. That's what I call oppression...
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post #67 of 71
3/3/09 at 2:12am
It's funny reading this article and all the Bill Gates/Microsoft bashing comments after just a couple days earlier having that huge article that tears apart misquotes about the iPhone in Japan.

Who knows what Melinda Gates said after saying iPods are banned?

Her very next statement could have been that they don't allow the kids to use Zunes or other mp3 players either. But of course that won't be in the article since it's not as juicy a sound bite as saying they've banned Microsoft's most direct competitors. Just before the iPod-banning comment, Melinda said she doesn't want her kids living in a bubble. Maybe they feel that despite all the positive things the 24-7 connectivity that exists isn't really all that good for society in general. Haven't we all experienced times when we could barely hold a conversation with the person next to us because they were too busy checking and responding to messages on their Blackberry? I've watched my nieces and nephews hold conversations via text messages yet they were all sitting in the same room.
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post #68 of 71
3/3/09 at 4:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ulfoaf View Post

Right or wrong, I've know people that have worked for Anheiser Bush and for Coca-Cola, and yes, you can get fired for using competing products!

There was a famous case in the Atlanta (home of Coca-Cola) paper, where a minor exec at Coke was drinking a Pepsi at work. I think she was asked to get rid of it, she thought it was a joke and refused, and eventually was fired.

There are companies out there that are fanatical. These two, Microsoft, and Frito-Lay are all examples, for sure.

Coca Cola is NOT owned by Frito-Lay, Pepsi is. At no point has Pepsi (Frito Lay) been brought up. Leave them alone

Seriously, I have no problem with a company telling me how to do my work and what to do my work with (drinking Pepsi at my Coke job). If I really had a problem with not being able to drink my Pepsi at work, I'd put my Pepsi in a Coke bottle

Some companies don't even let you bring your phone in because it has a microphone on it.
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post #69 of 71
3/3/09 at 5:08am
Trying to bring up your kids without those kinds of gadgets is pretty stupid - whether you like them or not, devices like iPods and iPhones are the future and here to stay. If they're banning Apple products in favour of Microsoft equivalents then that's just plain cruel.
My Android phone is the worst phone I've ever owned.
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post #70 of 71
3/3/09 at 5:21am
Jeez Bill, get over yourself...really.
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post #71 of 71
3/3/09 at 11:08am
Revealing that Melinda Gates worked on the Microsoft Bob software made me chuckle. Bringing up that disaster was probably more painful to Bill and Melinda than the rest of the article. Bob was a bigger turd than Zune or Microsofts Ultimate TV failure. Melinda wouldn't want that failed software venture on her resume.
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