[zipperzap]

Excuse my ignorance - this will probably make some geeks here smile, at how some people are so electronically bassackward!

Is there some hardware - and I know there is - that will enable me to record into a universal (or just for Mac, too) file that will allow me to play back later, put into an iPod, etc.?

[analogika]

You've already GOT the hardware - the PowerBook, and an internet connection.
(Unless you want to hook up a cassette recorder to your PowerBook's headphone out and record that back into the 'Book later on that is. )

You're looking for software.

SoundFlower is free and will allow you to redirect ANY application's sound output directly into your audio recording application of choice - be it GarageBand or the free Audacity.

Other than that, there's RadioLover and a bunch of other streaming-radio recording applications, that have mostly been discussed over in the applications forum and/or are available on a quick keyword search on Mac OS X Software Updates and Mac OS X Downloads - VersionTracker or MacUpdate: Apple Macintosh Software & Game Downloads