Robo, yes, those things are like internal sound cards. The official name I've always heard for a sound card is "audio adaptor." That's confusing, but I suppose it's meant to include audio systems that aren't on plug-in cards, such as the Sabrent, or the type that most computers now have which is part of the motherboard. At one time it wasn't normal for a computer to have an audio system, so it made sense for the hardware that added it to be called an adaptor.

I've got a much older one that I use with my antique laptop. Mine is a different brand (Creative), but it looks similar. It came with installation software, and once installed it took over all the audio functions of the laptop. When it's not plugged into the USB port, the internal audio adaptor and its speaker take over again, automatically.

The installation was as simple as any upgrade and I haven't had to do anything about it since then except plug it in. It takes its power from the USB line, so there's no battery or AC adaptor. It also came with much better audio control software than what came with Windows XP. It's supposed to have better quality sound than the built-in system, but I never had any complaint about the built-in system.