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Luckily you don't need a huge amount of technical gear in order to start podcasting. You only need a few things, most of which you can probably already find on your own computer, whether it's a PC or Mac. What you'll need is:
Microphone
Before you rush out a buy a microphone take a close look at your computer. If you have a laptop (either PC or Mac) you almost certainly have a microphone built into it. Even if you have a desktop computer you may have a microphone built into the monitor. They may not offer as good quality as an external microphone but they will certainly do the job to get you started.
If using an external microphone position it in a central spot on your desk or table. If you're using a laptop, position the laptop in a central spot on your desk or table (make sure you know where the built-in microphone is in the laptop case).
Usually the built-in microphone in a laptop will be located near the edge of the keyboard or close to the laptop's speakers. Some models tuck it in at the center point of the monitor's base. Consult your user's manual to find out where the microphone is hidden on your machine.
Sound/Audio Card
Almost all laptops and desktops will have the neccessary sound hardware in the form of a built-in sound chip or standalone card such as those from Soundblaster. Any standalone or built-in card should be able to provide basic audio recording providing you have suitable drivers installed.
Recording Software
Check out the software that came with your computer. You know, all those extra discs that you never looked at and thought were useless. The time has come to flip through them. You probably have some sort of audio-recording software loaded on your computer, such as RecordIt (PC) or iMovie (which comes pre-installed with many new Macs and can record voice as well as video).
If you don't already have the appropriate software, here's a fast way to get it. Download the version of Audacity that fits your operating system (at audacity.sourceforge.net), it's free and a really fantastic program.
That's all you need hardware-wise to get started. Simple eh?
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