Phil Windley realized that podcasting “is likely the largest application of the occasionally connected computing model.” He and Curt Allen considered the potential impact in developing nations and remote education.

I’ve been thinking more about the hybrid MP3-player and mobile-phone devices I’m sure we’re about to see on the market. Mobile streaming is a real pain in the ass, particularly over current cellular connections. If there’s a glitch in the connection, you may have to start streaming from the beginning. And what happens when a call arrives just as you’re near the end of a one-hour podcast. Ouch!

But if you podcast (download) to a mobile device, you can just pause the playback and pick it up later. As Phil pointed out, streaming isn’t occasionally connected.