Here's a new product for those of us looking to record a single channel of 48kHz sound directly to a laptop. For a whopping $79 you can now get a XLR to USB converter with 48V Phantom Power. Check it out http://www.mxlmics.com/condenser_mic/micMate/micMate.htm
I'm hoping this sounds as good as it looks! It would be nice to have sound on tape as well as an uncompressed AIFF backup.