You can typically connect an amp simulator (eg. Zoom GFX/Behringer V-Amp/Line 6 Pod/Boss GT ranges) directly to a sound card's line-in inputs; no amp or preamp required. That's always sufficed for me, and I don't particularly like the sound of 'real' amps anyway.

considering you are a guitarist, maybe this is something for you: http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=guitarrig2_de

the pedal is, besides being a controller, also an audio interface (and di box), and considering my experience with other ni products (mainly kontakt), it is probably quite good.

Sure, you definitely can, and I'm intrigued by mic and amp simulators myself(I dont play with recording nearly as much as synthesis and sequencing), people just need to understand what it means to be plugging an electric guitar into an electronic card, and appreciate that it needs to be a clean sound.

Some folks dont make that intuitive leap, and amp the sound up in the line and blow their sound card out by forcing too much power down the line.