I’ve been toying around with iTunes 4.9 today. Aside from podcasts, there isn’t really anything new about it, but it’s not like iTunes has any major glaring weaknesses that need fixing. However, the addition of podcasting gives users yet another reason to use iTMS, and it’ll probably give you another good reason to sit in front of your Mac or PC all day.

For the uninitiated, podcasting is where people--anyone from well-recognized people to your neighbor--can create an audio recording in the format of a radio show. The great thing about podcasts is that you can listen to them at any time on your computer or iPod (or many other players) and there are no commercials (at least not now; podcasters, don’t even think about it).It’s a great way to get yourself heard.

The first thing users will notice is that podcasting is seamlessly integrated into iTunes, done in a way only Apple can do. Podcasting is actually part of the iTMS itself, so to look for podcasts, go to the music store and select “Podcasts” from genre pop-up menu. The podcast page is laid out much like any other page in iTMS. There is no learning curve if you already know how to use iTunes.

The number of podcasts is already sizable; about 2,000 are currently in the iTunes database. Needless to say, this number will grow quickly. And there are podcasts about a wide variety of topics, from religion to politics, from travel to comedy. Heck, there are even a number of podcasts on podcasting! There are also a number of international podcasts as well.

If you have a podcast, you can add yours to the database by clicking the “Publish a Podcast” button. But if the ones you listen to are not in the iTMS directory, you’re not out of luck. You can subscribe to podcasts by selecting “Subscribe to Podcast” in the Advanced menu and entering the podcast URL. All your podcasts are accessible from a “Podcasts” item in the source list.

There’s very little I see to complain about in iTunes 4.9. About the only thing I see missing so far is that podcasts do not also appear in your regular music library (CORRECTION: They do indeed show up with your music library). Whether you’re a podcast addict or podcast newbie, iTunes 4.9 is a great tool for managing podcasts.