WHAT YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO PODCASTS

TO PLAY A PODCAST

• Use your computer. If it doesn't have built-in audio software, download Real-Audio, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, iTunes, or a similar app.
• Use an MP3 player.
• Use a CD player that can read disks that were recorded in MP3. A disk might hold as many as 10 hours of music. You can burn your own disks.

CHOOSING A PLAYER

Memory

Players either have a hard disk or a flash drive. Hard disks can hold more files but are relatively easy to break, flash drives have no moving parts.

The number of hours of audio a player can hold depends not just on how much memory it has, but the format used to encode the files, how compressed they are, and whether they are mono or stereo.

According to Apple, a 160GB iPod can hold 40,000 4-minute songs, which means you could listen 24 hours a day for almost a month without any repetitions (if you could afford to buy that many songs).

A 30-minute podcast is likely to require 14MB or 30MB of disk space, depending on the amount of compression used in preparing it. An 8GB drive should therefore hold at least 200 half-hour podcasts.

Batteries

May be built-in or removable (usually AAA). Built-ins may be charged while connected to a computer or to a special transformer. A really good player should be able to play 24 hours of music on a single charge. For some odd reason, podcasts require much more juice than music does, and may only hold a charge for four hours—even though they are more compressed than music.

Screen

This should be visible in normal light and large enough to read easily. Longer titles will be cut off but should scroll automatically as you select them.

Flexibility

Fast-forward and fast-reverse are invaluable in podcast listening. You can repeat things you missed or skip the dull parts. Especially helpful for language learners.

If you are a Mac user, make sure the player is Mac-compatible.

FM radio

An excellent source of music or information. After all, some of the best podcasts come from programs on National Public Radio.

Equalizer presets

Equalizers make it possible to raise or lower parts of the sound (frequencies) to correct the sound, enhance different types of music, or fit the user’s tastes. Presets such as jazz or Latin shift the frequencies to optimal levels for specific types of music. Others, like bass booster, enable listeners to speed up the process of becoming deaf.

Simple controls and layout

Bad design can make it absurdly difficult to find what you are looking for or to adjust things like volume. If you can’t try out a player, at least look at the customer reviews on the player’s Amazon page.

Playback speed

Some players can be sped up or slowed down. iPods bury this type of adjustment deep in the menus under audiobooks.

Voice and/or video recording

These tend not to be of more than average quality, but they may be useful at times. They can take time to access, and the event—or idea—that you wanted to record may have disappeared by the time the app is ready.

Photos and/or text

Photos don’t look good on tiny screens. But text can be useful for things you always seem to forget to take with you, such as a list of books you want to find at the library.