Does anyone know of any decent alternative software for the Apple iPod Video 30GB? Would need to have podcast support 
Yamipod is free so you may want to look at it. Anapod Explorer isn’t free and doesn’t list podcast support,but features-wise it looks pretty good. I’m considering buying myself. The one thing about the program i don’t like is it has to go online and create a machine-id tying the program to that particular CPU. A friend of mine uses it and loves it.
I would not recommend the purchase of software that calls home, collects data on the user or his/her machine unless the user wills it to occur.
Think what would happen if you wanted to change your CPU.
Software for the iPod device? Are you refering to non-Apple firmware?
I was able to find Rockbox ( http://www.rockbox.org/ ):