I got myself a USB headset, the ANDREA ANC-700 with the Buddy USB adapter, and it works GREAT! I only had to run through the setup once and everything was working. I tried it without the headset (using the laptop built in mic) and it just heard garbage. I am quite pleased with the voice recog ability, makes it much easier to chat with Hal. I think I paid around $70 or $80 for it, but it's well worth the investment.
Dave