As a guitarist and computer enthusiast I've been really enthusiastic about using the two together. When I first starting using an Atari ST for computer music this was not an option. It could only cope with MIDI rather than audio and crashed on a very regular basis.

More recently I've been playing around (in both senses of the word) with the M-Audio Mobile Pre and Magix Samplitude Music Studio.

One of the beauties of modern computer music is that many effects and instruments can be used with different programs. For example I reviewed Cakewalk Guitar Tracks several years ago. Recording wise Samplitube is more advanced but GuitarTracks comes with the Amplitube amp simulation. As the Amplitube is a VST plugin, Samplitude can use it as well.

The other part of this that it is much easier to connect the guitar to the computer. I've been using the Mobile Pre but there are even guitars coming out with USB built in. Prices are actually more reasonable than you might expect, the Beringer iAxe is £100. Although if you want you can pay slightly more eye wateringly more for the iGuitar. Prices start from $1,200 and go up to $2,500 depending on options.