[Hans]

Yes, they are different. I can hook my cassette player up to the compter, that has always been the case.

Not so log ago I bought a special little record player with a USB plug they nowadays sell. Specifcally to digitize vinyl records. It was cheap, cost about $45 (brand name is watssound). You just plug it into the computer, start a recording program and ready you are.
I herd now there are even very fancy ones, far more expensive, that let you put on a record, insert a CD in a slot and wham, it automatically makes a vinyl record into a dvd...

Here's a handy link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/new...yl-Records.jsp