Is it important to monitor a mic while podcasting?

[be7]

I'm getting into podcasting and am looking for a mic. A guy at Guitar Center recommended the Blue Yeti USB mic because it has a headphone jack for monitoring. He says that with other mics, I'd have to monitor from the headhone jack on my PC and there'd be an annoying delay. Is this true? If so, then why don't other USB mics come with built-in headphone jacks?

 

[moresound]

That's cause BLUE has it going on!

 

[TimOBrien]

Do yourself a favor and stay away from usb mics and adapters.

Not as good analog>digital converters (cheaper chips)
You'll have problems monitoring
you wont be able to use anything else with it (asio only lets you use 1 device at a time)
short usb cords will put more computer noise into recordings

Get a regular usb interface and regular mics.

A 2-channel $80-100 USB interface and a Shure sm-57 or 58 is a good starter.

 

[VomitHatSteve]

He's right about the latency. If you monitor in software, there will be an audible delay.

However, I'd say he's not right about the need to monitor. Check your levels thoroughly before you start, and keep an eye on the meters to ensure you don't clip.