podcasting, ipod's only?, how to download?

[Bob]

Correct me if I'm wrong.  Podcasts are an online version of some type of audio broadcast, like a radio show or someone speaking.  Not necessarily "broadcast" on the radio, but I think that's where they started.

Can you just download those by themself or do you have to have an ipod or something like an ipod?

How long do they take to download?  Even at a low level setting, an hour broadcast must be a huge file.

[rc]

Every one I've seen has been an MP3 file...  Download it, and play it anywhere.

I use a little Sony MP3 player, it's shaped like a bean and surprisingly resiliant!  It came with software that converts any audio file to the format it needs.  It's one extra step.

The podcasts I've heard have been interview-type things, so the sound quality doesn't need to be high.  They weren't excessively big files...  If my crappy wireless connection can handle it, anything can!