Coffee Break French FAQ: Technical

To view the answer to any of these questions, please click on the question itself. The answer will appear below.


What equipment do I need to use Coffee Break French?

The bare minimum is a computer capable of playing mp3 files. Any computer on the market nowadays, and pretty much all computers made in the past few years are capable of playing mp3 files. See below for other details about equipment.

Is Coffee Break French suitable for Macs and PCs?

Coffee Break French is compatible with both Macs and PCs, and indeed any other system capable of playing mp3 files. Coffee Break French is produced on a Mac and we would suggest that the easiest way to access the podcast is by using iTunes, available for both Mac and PC.

Do I have to use iTunes to access the podcast?

We find iTunes the easiest option for downloading and aggregating podcasts. However, there are a number of other possibilities. You may be interested in this post on the Podcast411 website which offers links to a number of alternative players. You can, of course, simply download each episode individually from our website, or even listen on the site with the flash player. However, we'd advise you to subscribe to the "feed" in iTunes or another aggregator because this way you can ensure that you'll get the most up-to-date material as soon as it's published, including some feed-only items.
If you do need the simple rss feed for Coffee Break French, it's http://feeds.feedburner.com/coffeebreakfrench

Do I have to have an iPod?

Absolutely not! A common misconception about podcasts it that the only way to play them is by using an iPod. Since Coffee Break French podcasts are basic mp3 files they can be played on computers, on other mp3 players, or burned to CD (see below).

Can I burn CDs of Coffee Break French to use in my car?

Yes. This is one of the most common questions we receive at Coffee Break French. Since the podcasts tend to be 15-20 minutes in length it's fairly safe to expect to get 3 episodes on one audio CD. Just drag the podcast episodes from your hard disc or iTunes podcast list into whichever application you use to burn CDs. Select Audio CD from the options (as opposed to mp3 CD or Data CD) and click burn! You can then have Coffee Break French with you in your car CD player or your home stereo, etc.

Do I have to have high speed internet connection to use Coffee Break Spanish?

A broadband connection is definitely preferred in that it will mean that the podcasts will download more quickly. Most episodes are around 20-25mb. Depending on your connection this could take a few minutes or a few hours to download.

If your question is not answered here, please contact us and we'll get back to you.