The
iPod has changed the way we consume audio and now even video files, while
the connectivity between iTunes and the iPod is a stroke of genius, podcasts do
not necessarily care what they are being played on. They may just as
easily be played on a PSP or a Zune or any of the other players out there, the
key to podcasting is finding something that will automatically download the new
episode on put it on your player. 
The computer
be it windows or simply non-microsoft, can play a podcast as long as a headset
or speakers are attached. iTunes may even be employed without the use of
an iPod. This will allow for the files to be downloaded and readily
listened to for your convenience.
The Compact Disc
while less conventional, without the restriction that DRM files provide podcasts
can be thrown on a CD and made portable via a car CD or anywhere else a CD
player is available.
A new emerging tool
for listening to podcasts is coming from an unlikely place. The cell phone
and PDA environments can make use of the audio files and play them right over
your phone.
Wikipedia
defines a podcast as: A podcast is a multimedia file distributed
over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on
mobile devices and personal computers. The term as originally
coined by Ben Hammersley in an article in the Guardian on
February 12, 2004, was meant as a portmanteau of "broadcasting"
and "iPod".
The term podcast, like 'radio', can mean both the content and the method of delivery. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital audio formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically using software capable of reading feeds like RSS or Atom.
