You don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast

 HOW TO LISTEN TO A PODCAST

The easiest way to listen to a podcast is to play it on your computer. You can use any audio software that supports MP3, such as Real­Audio, QuickTime, or Windows Media Player.

Minidisc players (which use three-inch CD disks) can usually play MP3s, and many can record them as well. Some CD players can read disks that have been recorded in MP3. Digital audio players either use miniature hard drives or flash memory.

 HOW MUCH A PLAYER HOLDS

How many hours of audio will fit on your player depends on the format that was used to encode the files (e.g., MP3, wav, mpg), the degree of compres­sion, how much memory your player has, and whether the files are mono or stereo.

MP3 music files are compressed mainly by removing frequencies that we cannot hear.

PLAYERS

PROGRAMS

Some of the more popular free programs for downloading/organizing podcasts:

TECHIE STUFF

Podcasts may be encoded at rates as low as 24 kbps because they are speech. This means more data can fit in the same amount of memory. (For example, a 256 MB player might hold four hours of music but eight hours or more of podcasts.)

Hard-drive players (like most iPods) can hold the largest amount of information. For example, a six-gigabyte model can hold 100 hours of MP3 music encoded at 128 Kbps. A CD may hold around 10 hours of MP3 music. Some minidisc players may be good for as much as 12 hours of music on one disc. Most solid-state flash players have at least 256 MB of memory. Most of the smaller players use flash memory.

BEFORE YOU BUY

Check the specs. Not all players have:

• long battery life
• intuitive controls
• good audio quality
• easy-to-read displays
• compatibIlity with Macs
• as much memory as you may need
• expandable memory
• controls large enough for big fingers
• AM or FM radio or simple voice recording
• the ability to store (or play) photo, video, or data files
• the ability to recharge while being connected to your computer