"Rock Band
" USB microphones will work on a laptop.
The video game "Rock Band" includes a microphone for players to sing the lyrics to the songs performed within the game. The microphone is based on the same drivers as Logitech's USB microphones. This means users can plug the microphone into an available USB port on a laptop computer and use it to record sound through audio recording software. Also, it makes a great microphone for making calls over VOIP services such as Skype or Google Voice.
Windows Users
Users of laptops that are running Windows XP or later will not need any additional software or drivers to use the "Rock Band" microphone on their computer. Plug the microphone's USB cable into any available USB port on your Windows-based laptop and a prompt will appear that loads a driver for "Logitech USB Microphone." However, users of Windows operating systems that came out prior to Windows XP will need to allow Windows to search for the Logitech driver for the microphone to work.
Mac and Linux Users
Laptop users that are running Mac or Linux as their operating system can use the "Rock Band" USB microphone as well. When the microphone is plugged in, it will automatically be recognized as a Logitech USB Microphone and can be selected as the audio input in various sound recording and VOIP programs. However, users of older Linux distributions may need to search to find the Logitech USB microphone driver if it is not automatically recognized.
Audio Quality
Even though the audio quality from the "Rock Band" USB microphone is sufficient for recording audio for a VOIP voice call, the quality is not very high when compared to higher-end USB microphones. However, for basic purposes, it is a great way to avoid having to buy a computer microphone if you already own "Rock Band" for your Wii, PlayStation 3 or X-Box 360.
More Information
Just like the "Rock Band" USB microphone is compatible with computers, it also works the other way around: the "Rock Band" game is compatible with any other USB-powered microphone. If you ever lose your "Rock Band" microphone or it malfunctions, you can replace it with any microphone that connects through USB.
