TSGL: Digital recordings on PC

[Tilman Brandl]

Hi,

I wonder what the standard audio equipment on my new PC + Notebook can handle, and how to create and edit recordings.

In connection with my family history project I've recorded a few interviews with older relatives (born around 1910-25) in the past . My questions are:

1. the older records were with a voice recorder - probably analog(ue) - resulting in a few tapes. What would I need in order to convert those recordings into digital format, which would be easier to use later when my tapes may have faded (and I too)?

2. What do I need to do decent digital recordings. Can this simply be done e.g. using my laptop and a microphone? Is recording quality a highly important point, or just important to get standard intelligibility? Besides a good mike - what else would I need ?

Thanks in advance
Tilman