How to Subscribe to a podcast, any podcast ( ... and hopefully ours).
You don't need an iPod.
You don't even need a portable MP3 player (although this really is the basis behind PodCaching: walking the cache route in the field while listening to the PodCache) since you could simply listen to the MP3 on your computer.
Subscribing (totally FREE) allows you to let software pull the newest shows and episodes from their sources automatically. This means you don't have to go back to the website, find the newest show and manually download it, the software does it for you! You'll get the most current shows when they are released!
If you use an iPod you already know how it interfaces with iTunes. If you use a portable MP3 player other than an iPod this process will download MP3s onto your computer for you to manually manage.
To subscribe you'll need Aggregator software (no it doesn't live in a swamp ...). This is the software that will scan the Internet and automatically download the newest shows to which you have subscribed. I use iPodder, it's FREE. (again this is just an aggregator, you do not have to have an iPod). Below you will find a list of commonly used aggregator software.
Apple recently released iTunes with a built in "aggregator". Before then you had to use a stand alone aggregator (some of which could also interface with iTunes). This is why there are several possible ways to subscribe to a podcast: