Gates bans iPods and iPhones from his home; latest chapter in epic rivalry

Anyone who has followed all the twists and turns in the long, siblingesque rivalry between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs must have felt a special thrill on hearing the latest news: Bill Gates has banned Apple products from his home.

For millions of Americans, who have long seen him as a sort of computer-based Willie Wonka, the image of the cranky Microsoft founder telling his kids to keep their damned iPod and iPhones out of his house is more than a little amusing. Add in the image of Melinda Gates, an Edith to Bill's Archie, expressing a secret desire to own an iPhone, and the whole thing starts to sound like a sitcom.