If I am to create my own podcast, what better way to get a feel for it and how it works, than going to a seminar at the Apple Store. I figure Apple must know better than anyone how this all works and have some answers for me. So at 5 pm I was dropped off at Fashion Island by my mother. Thinking that there would already be a handful of other hopeful podcasters, I was surprised that I was the sole participant. But this ended up being a good thing since I was able to get a basic one-on-one tutorial in podcast production. The gentleman responsible for the seminar, Matt, was glad to answer my many questions, the first of which was what kind of software will I need to buy in order to produce a podcast? The answer he gave was simple, “ Well, all the software you need already comes with an Apple Mac computer.” Great, I thought, less work for me, until it hit me that I don’t own a Mac. I have a Dell. That momentary memory laps led to my next question: Can I create a podcast with my Dell? With this question my dream of easy sailing was over. Matt gave me a long, roundabout answer. I tried to get straight to the point. “So, basically you’re telling me that without an Mac I cannot create a podcast?” his answer was the one I was dreading. “Yes. On a PC you cannot create a podcast.” With such news I thought that my journey had ended. I can’t afford to buy a new computer. Though discouraged, I decided to continue with the seminar. Ok, I told myself, I’ll learn how to create a podcast on a Mac. And that is exactly what I did. Matt proceeded to create a podcast right on the spot, explaining each step of the process. First, there was the voice recording. Then, he quickly edited the piece by splicing various sequences of the recording and deleting those he deemed unfit. And then, with the touch of a single button, he added music, which automatically modulated its volume when he recorded his own voice . That was cool. To finish off the audio portion of the podcast he added playful news jingles, similar to those present on live news television. The finished audio segment sounded fantastic; it amazed me that such a quality piece could be made in under 20 minutes. Now I wanted to know about a video. So he obliged me by creating one. With a tiny camera atop his laptop screen, all he had to do was minimize out of Garageband, and go to iMovie. With another click of a button, he made a 30-second video clip consisting of the two of us smiling and waving into the camera. I would say, a little cheesy, ha-ha, but again I was again astonished at how good the final product looked. In less than 45 minutes we had created a video and audio podcast, which aside from the content was of professional caliber. I was impressed and heartbroken at the same time. I had just learned to create a podcast, and it was stunningly easy, yet how was I to do this without a Mac. I told Matt of my dilemma and he suggested that I was welcome anytime to use the Macs in the Apple store. Fine for him and Apple, but not much help for me. I’m determined to find out if I can create a podcast on a PC, and that question I will try to answer next. My gut says I can. So stay tuned.