When purchasing a new computer, it is best to find the one that gives you the most options for your money and that might include speakers, monitor, mouse, keyboard and a microphone.
There are several reasons why an individual would want to have a microphone for their computer; there are quite a few online websites which allow people to communicate through online phone calls through their computer and having a microphone attached to the computer would be helpful. Other websites require a webcam to communicate and they have a soundcard and a built-in microphone near the video camera.
Voice activated or speech recognition software computer programs for word documents and writing programs in which a person speaks into the microphone and the computer automatically types whatever words it picks up are great for people who have arthritis or other ailments and can't type as well as they would like to using a standard keyboard. These programs must be 'trained' in order to recognize a person's voice, but once you go through the computer 'training' for your voice, you can begin speaking into the microphone and the computer types what you are saying. Many of the programs allow a person to continually add new words to the voice commands so that the next time you say that word; the computer will automatically type it without having to question its origin or usage a second time.
There are many different styles and sizes of microphones and if an individual purchases one for an older computer, they can install it at the back of the computer tower in the hole that has an outline of a microphone above it or the words 'mic' or microphone written near it.
Some microphones for computers are attached to a headset or earphones and can be used to make phone calls over the Internet or with a voice activated writing program through the computer. These headset microphones for computers are also good to use for various computer games in order to speak with other players online or games that are voice controlled or activated. The best part about this type of microphone for a computer is that they hardly ever pick up normal conversational background sounds.
Speaker microphones made especially for conference calls through the computer are mainly sold to businesses and individuals who work from home and are required to attend a lot of conference calls - it allow them to have more 'hands-free' capabilities and hear multiple people from different places all at one time. The one drawback to this type of microphone is that is picks up all background noise.
Other microphones for computers are built into or integrated in the newer models of computers, mainly in the monitors so they will pick up a person's voice without having them lean over the keyboard and speak directly into the microphone. These microphones for computers also pick up all background noises.