Pope Benedict XVI scores 2GB iPod nano, wanted 4GB

The Pope just got his very own iPod nano, engraved with: "To His Holiness, Benedict XVI". They got his title right, but the playlist? Besides the Vatican Radio podcast, they've got Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. Puhleese. We know JPII went for a little bit of break dancing in his day, let's see BXVI take it up a notch in the Vatican.

[Via TUAW]

[fischju @ Mar 4th 2006 10:05PM]

HAHA the pope has an ipod and my friend doesnt....

[Dave @ Mar 4th 2006 10:10PM]

iPope?

[SPARTEN II @ Mar 4th 2006 10:20PM]

His Holiness should have gotten a 5G iPod.

[meshsmooth @ Mar 4th 2006 10:20PM]

So now we may hear the church's opinion on downloading music and DRM. Just wait till the pope gets burnt by DRM, then the church will have an opinion! Or the pope gets into downloading music, music downloading != theft????

[deus_twilight @ Mar 4th 2006 10:20PM]

When Gee-wiz was alive, he prolly carried an ipod. Why not? I can imagine him having the Holy Books as an mp3.

[ThreEchelon @ Mar 4th 2006 10:30PM]

I wonder if it would be possible to explain to the pope what a gigabyte is.

[Ireland @ Mar 4th 2006 10:34PM]

The man's a legend!


Keep it real your holiness.

[Keefus @ Mar 4th 2006 10:46PM]

Stravinsky? Isn't that a bit risque?

[Yrian @ Mar 4th 2006 10:49PM]

@ThreEchelon: Yeah, the pope. That uneducated religious leader.

[Joe Smith @ Mar 4th 2006 10:54PM]

Yes, and how some people pronounce it gigabytes and some people pronounce it geegabytes.

[NP @ Mar 4th 2006 10:55PM]

if this was a story with the head cleric of the other religion as the subject...there will be a "death to unholy gadgets" demo soon.

[J.I.G. @ Mar 4th 2006 11:00PM]

From the article:
"Though the white iPod nano is tiny, it still made an impression on the pope. When the head of the radio's technical and computer support department [...] handed the pope the boxed iPod, the pope was said to have replied, 'Computer technology is the future.' "

Also from the article:
"With his new iPod, the pope can access the radio's daily podcasts, as well as download music and audio books from the Internet."

Given the pope's comment about "the future", I somehow doubt it ;-)

[Great Ipod video collection @ Mar 4th 2006 11:02PM]

This is kinda cool. Technology has come a long way for real.

[Kuba @ Mar 4th 2006 11:06PM]

dont be mean to the pope guys.
classical music is awesome in my opinion.
rap is awful. I hate rap.

[hh83917 @ Mar 4th 2006 11:07PM]

The pope can probably get an ipod Hi-Fi and have the ipod play his prayers for him...

[Cybert @ Mar 4th 2006 11:14PM]

The iPod is a result of science. Once the pope's way is gone, we'll revel in greater wonders that only science can bring. Science is far too underrated. Remember, the true "Bibles" are the books of math and physics.

[Troy Worman @ Mar 4th 2006 11:16PM]

My wife scored one of these today.

[DB @ Mar 4th 2006 11:32PM]

"True bibles"?? "once the pope's way is gone"?? Math has a bible? The pope has a way? Who is this guy?
When did Engadget become some wannabe scientist's pulpit?

The article is about the pervasiveness of technology and the success of a company and its products. When did science ever enter the topic? Even if you want to spout off about how the iPod is the result of science at work, why is �the pope�s way� suddenly taking a backseat to science?

[CajunLuke @ Mar 4th 2006 11:43PM]

Cybert: I agree with DB, with the corollary of "why do they have to be different or opposing?" Why can't people realize and accept the fact that theology and science aren't different, don't oppose each other, and, in fact, get along and agree quite nicely? It's almost like God intended it to be that way, it's so uncanny.

[Ben @ Mar 4th 2006 11:44PM]

Wow that is awesome.

[jmchez @ Mar 4th 2006 11:58PM]

Only one person so far has hit on the real topic here. Apple has the POTUS and the Pope walking around giving free advertising to its product. Does the Queen of England have one? Has there ever been another gadget with this kind of almost universal useage at even the highest level of governmental or religious auhtority?

[Ian @ Mar 5th 2006 12:05AM]

Further proof that everyone and their mom has an iPod, thus making me want it less and less.

[sammy mazola jr @ Mar 5th 2006 12:07AM]

#16 You're married to the pope?

[modenadude @ Mar 5th 2006 12:07AM]

Your wife scored a Pope?! DUDE!

haha, just messing.

[Michael @ Mar 5th 2006 12:34AM]

Joe Smith: try Steve Vai

[SRD @ Mar 5th 2006 12:34AM]

Cybert what are you talking about. THe catholic church is all about science these days. They always go about saying how science doesnt contradict the bible at all. They even except evolution. they are one of the only religions now where science is fully excepted. They even have their own scientists

[anton @ Mar 5th 2006 12:48AM]

You know old pope Benedict XVI whants to get Crunk

[Cranch @ Mar 5th 2006 12:52AM]

The Pope wasn't given an iPod because it the iPod is popular; he got one because it is the simplest useful portable audio playback device yet devised.

That's why the iPod is "winning": its simple and it works. Think about the marketing. iPod marketing is exclusively images of people dancing. That's not a "hard sell". No booming voice telling you to buy buy buy. No lists of features. No endorsements. Just images of people dancing. No one is being brainwashed by iPod marketing. iPod ads build and maintain awareness, but its through exposure to the honestly useful functionality of the iPod+iTunes experience that the iPod has become so successful.

There are simply are not enough lemmings who buy something simply because it is "popular" to make a product successful on the iPod's scale.

Nope, iPods are popular and given to Popes because they work great and are simple to use.

[PEINAO @ Mar 5th 2006 12:59AM]

He should have gotten a PlaysForSure-compatible device, like the Toshiba Gigabeat S. When is that coming out anyways? I thought it was supposed to have already been on sale in March?

[furtim @ Mar 5th 2006 12:59AM]

"8. Stravinsky? Isn't that a bit risque?"

Yes and no.

Rite of Spring? Clearly yes. Flat-out pagan.

Symphony of the Psalms? Well, obviously that's kosher. Or whatever the Catholic equivalent of kosher is.

[mark @ Mar 5th 2006 1:16AM]

I'm not religious and I don't wish ill will on anyone (especially those that potentially have a hook up with a higher power) but please please please let the RIAA catch him downloading music on a file-sharing network while visiting the United States.

Then, when they sue him, he can have the Man Upstairs smite the little "fair-use-doesn't-exist-we're-going-to-sue-to-
keep-an-outdated-business-model-alive" sonsofbi....s.

[klew @ Mar 5th 2006 1:18AM]

For #29 Cranch: I've never seen a television commercial for any mp3 players by Creative, iRiver, Cowon, Archos, Samsung, etc. So it seems Apple's marketing is more "in your face" than any other brand.

For everyone else: Did the President buy his, or was it given as a gift? The Pope's engraving "To His Holiness" doesn't sound like something he would choose himself, also making me think it was a gift. Apple would get plenty of cred/exposure by giving a $400 player to high profile people.

[Mr. Anonymous Tipster @ Mar 5th 2006 2:26AM]

they couldn't spring for a 4gb nano?

would you rather give jesus a game boy advance or a DS Lite?

damn you.

[Don Wilson @ Mar 5th 2006 2:26AM]

His name looks like a superbowl event.

[Ali @ Mar 5th 2006 2:33AM]

let's see when this one shows up on ebay!

[giddieon @ Mar 5th 2006 2:50AM]

Great A Nazi Pope with an iPOD... Ok I have now seen everything and I am ready to die...

[nasty @ Mar 5th 2006 2:58AM]

I hate Christians
I hate Jews
I hate Muslims
They all need to SHUT UP!

[evo @ Mar 5th 2006 3:02AM]

The Pope's On The Go playlist:

Faith (George Micheal)
I Believe In A Thing Called Love (The Darkness)
Heaven (Talking Heads)
All Is Full of Love (Bjork)
God Put A Smile on Your Face (Coldplay)
Like a Virgin (Madonna)
Fumbling Toward Ecstasy (Sarah McLachlan)
Oops!...I Did It Again (Britney Spears)
Bus To Beelzebub (Soul Coughing)
Devil Went Down to Georgia (Charlie Daniels Band)
Save a Prayer (Duran Duran)
Screaming for Vengeance (Judas Priest)

[mr. bob @ Mar 5th 2006 3:19AM]

on a side note:
the photoshopper didnt make the pope completely black.
if you look at it closely, you can make out the face and details of the robe.

other than that:
the pope gets an iPod. remind me what the big deal is?
(just 'cus he's special....)

[Ryan @ Mar 5th 2006 3:21AM]

let's hope the pope uses this ipod to assist in his spreading of hatred of homosexuals and encouraging people not to use condoms, hence propagating the aids epidemic in africa. What an amazing hitler youth man he is. praise jebus.

[bogsnogger @ Mar 5th 2006 5:05AM]

Isn't it funny how Christian haters can't bring themselves to say (or even type!) the names 'God' or 'Jesus'?

[Fundamentalist @ Mar 5th 2006 5:28AM]

What!? A CARTOON of our holy Pope!

This calls for US-flag burning and setting fire to American embassies world wide!

(kiddin)

[Karl Viklund @ Mar 5th 2006 6:49AM]

The Pope deserves the best! :)

[Ben Perkins @ Mar 5th 2006 7:09AM]

Does this mean I can make people sign up to one of those pyramid free iPod schemes because it's a holy product?

I wonder what he has to say about the Cult of Mac...

[conglacio @ Mar 5th 2006 8:15AM]

We got B16 in the Vat, consecratin sum righteous beats, yo! Bless to yo mutha of G!

[OMAC @ Mar 5th 2006 10:51AM]

#26,

"Cybert what are you talking about. THe catholic church is all about science these days. They always go about saying how science doesnt contradict the bible at all. They even except evolution. they are one of the only religions now where science is fully excepted. They even have their own scientists"

Are you trying to be funny with the usage of the word 'except'? If you substitute the word 'accept' for 'except' it completely changes the meaning of your statement. Saying the church 'excepts' evolution literaly means they don't agree with it.

The church tried to supress the findings of Galileo who claimed that the earth was not the center of the univers. It wasn't 400 years ago, and it isn't today. It wasn't until the year 2000 that the church apologized for its sins of the past 2000 years, including the awful treatment of Galileo, among other things. I am not saying the church is bad, far from it, just nowhere near perfect.

[joey @ Mar 5th 2006 12:10PM]

#21

as a matter of fact the queen does have an ipod. a 6G silver iPod mini.

as does bush

[Desides @ Mar 5th 2006 12:13PM]

"I am not saying the church is bad, far from it, just nowhere near perfect."

What's that? Humans aren't perfect? Why, yes!

I would say that science is more hostile to religion than religion is to science. Unless we're talking about Islam.

[JCG @ Mar 5th 2006 12:53PM]

I wonder if this was news if the pope had a mp3-player that wasn't an ipod.

@ #40
Don't forget the pope is also again sex before your married. But it in the human nature to only listen to things that you like and have someone to blame for your fault. I mean if people want to follow the pope without thinking, follow him completly not just the bits you like.

[zigzag @ Mar 5th 2006 2:28PM]

"39. on a side note:
the photoshopper didnt make the pope completely black"

Wow, looks like Apple doesnt make the people completely black either... http://live.watchmactv.com/?p=91