A clever solution is to use a Zoom H4 portable recorder. You can use the recorder itself, then transfer files via a card reader, or use it as a USB interface for a laptop. It has a couple of ok condenser mikes attached (X/Y pattern), or you could plug in your own mike, or even take an output from a mixer and run that through the H4 into the laptop. Short of a full-on audio interface, this works as well as anything.
Tim (playing around with digital mixers and optical interfaces as we speak!)