my wife got me one for my birthday last year - the turntable itself works fine, but the needle that came with it is weird - it looks like it's a needle to play 78's or somethng. it's got a little spiky bit on the underside of the needle that just trashes any records you play. haven't had the time to look for a regular needle that would fit the arm (it's not a standard screw on one), so i haven't been able to use the turntable at all.
i'd suggest, if you've already got a turntable hooked up to your stereo receiver, just get a y-cable and plug the RCA plugs into the "tape out" jacks on your stereo, and the other end of the cable into the microphone or line-in port on your computer - works just as well. there's really nothing special about usb turntables except for the usb line and the built in pre-amp. but if you've already got a turntable hooked up to your stero, you're set for a pre-amp. you'll still have to download a recording program, but you can get one for free online...
