Has anyone had the chance to play with one of these? Looks like a novel idea for quick laptop recording sessions, if the quality is there...

http://www.rodepodcaster.com/page2.html

George Foreman USB Grill

Don't know anything about the mic itself, but any USB mic is bound to be a bad investment. The USB standard isn't going to last forever, and the mic doesn't have an XLR output so it can't be used in a "normal" recording setting.

If you want a quick-and-dirty way to record podcasts, get a small, cheap USB interface like this one and use whatever mic you like, knowing that said mic will still be useful 10 years down the road.

I haven't used this, but I have had experience with the Samson C03u and as it was mentioned before, the USB-only option is a drag. It really depends on how you plan to you use it. I used the C03u (multi-pattern lg. d condenser) for voices on a crappy cartoon I made, and with a pop-filter and the right distance, I felt the results were satisfactory, but nothing amazing. USB mics are marketed for exactly what they're good at - podcasting. Maybe some acoustic guitar. That's it.