We all know what Steve Ballmer thinks about Apple, he has made that clear enough in the past when he stated that he has his kids brainwashed to understand that "...you don't use an iPod."

In an interview with Vogue magazine, Melinda French Gates lets slip that Bill seems to have joined Ballmer when it comes to gadget fascism.

In a rare bit of conversation about their kids, of whom one of the richest couples on the planet are understandably very protective when it comes to the media, Melinda Gates admits that "...iPods and iPhones are two things we don’t get for our kids."

Having confirmed that there are "very few things" on the household banned list, Gates goes on to express a certain amount of Apple envy that I suspect her husband does not share, or at least will never be seen to share in public.

Talking about her friends with Apple devices, Melinda Gates tells Vogue that she sees them using their gadgets and exclaims "Ooh, I wouldn’t mind having that iPhone."

Is it just me or does this whole 'thou shalt not Apple' thing seem just a little bit childish? Look, Bill Gates might not be the world's richest man any more (he currently sits in third place with something like $60 billion US) but he remains an uber geek.

I can understand him not using an Apple Mac at home, an endeavour in which he looks like being joined by even hardened Mac fanboys following the latest bunch of price-hiking desktop upgrades just announced.

I can even understand him not wanting to be seen using an iPhone in public despite not being a full-time Microsoftie these days. But get a grip man and let your kids have an iPod dammit. Deep in your nerdy heart you know they want one, they probably do not want a Zune after all.