I have been using my XMDirect unit through my carPC for right at two years. Added benefits are the ability to build favorite lists into your front end software and the ability to see what songs are on other stations. This unit does not include the required serial cable to get this to work with a computer, I paid $20 from a forum member to get a real nice one made. Also be aware that this feeds the analog audio into your microphone or line input and then in turn is fed out the headphone jack, so audio quality isn't "pure digital". Be aware that XM (and Sirius) use varying amounts of compression depending on the popularity (and content) of the station.
Add variety! 
