I've got a POD 2.0, I think you can still get them. It's not bad, it introduced me to modelling, and blew my mind at what you can do without an amp when I first got it.
It's got line outs, headphone, and midi. If your soundcard/wotever has midi, you can use the edit program for tone management- much easier than using the knobs).
Last time I was on the Line6 forums, there still seemed to be Line6ers that still prefer the old POD 2.0 sounds.
I've also got a POD XTLive, I've never used the POD 2.0 since I got it, I much prefer the XT tones. The XTlive is the floor version of the XT and has lineouts, headphone and usb (you can record direct through this, though I've never tried it, and use the edit program for tones) it also has a Variax connection which is why I got it.
I didn't upgrade to the X3Live when it came out, nor do I know whether you can still get the XTLive and if it's price came down.
When the Pocket POD came out, quite a lot of Line6ers were a bit miffed at it. They felt it was a bit plasticky, and a backwards step - I understand it's got the POD 2.0 architecture, and therefore the POD 2.0 tones. Not sure what ins and outs it's got, but it must have lineout and headphones at least! I don't even know how much it costs.
Line6 also have options where your PC ends up being the actual modeller - same models as the XT architecture I believe. Never checked those out though, I wanted a stand alone unit to plug into a desk and studio monitors.
Finally, I moved to a VOX Tonelab LE. This is the next generation on from the SE (of which the Desktop was a "desktop" version). As far as I'm aware, you can't get the SE/Desktop new anymore. I've had the LE, which is a floor unit for a couple of months. I got it for £179 new, and I haven't switched on a Line6 unit since!!
The Vox has less amp/cab models than Line6's XT, and therefore is a lot easier to use from the outset.
They all need a fair amount of effort on your part to learn how to get the best out of them, but they all make usable sounds - the VOX quite quickly for me (but that might be because I'd already learnt one modeller). If you give any a try out, don't go by the presets: the presets on all of them are utter @rse!!! More so on the VOX I'd say - but it's all personal taste isn't it? :lol:
With the current offerings from both Line6 and Vox, if I had to choose, I'd take the VOX, definitely, it sounds more alive and responsive to me. I personally wouldn't buy any of them second hand though - and that's been reinforced for me by the woes that gWem has been through recently :(. But do bear in mind that the VOX you can buy now is not the one that was having the probs...
Hope that helps a bit... :D
