if you're using a computer you're recording digital. putting a mic on your amp doesn't change that. freebase mentioned it's not an end-all rule to mic your amp instead of going directly into your computer... i think he was being nice. if not a rule, then a commonly-accepted trick of the trade. once you've tuned your guitar and amp to sound how you like it in the room that you've chosen to do this in, you should be able to use an EQ and a bit of compression - post-recording - to more properly emulate the sound of the room coming out of your speakers. if your amp has two speakers, get two mics. a room mic is also a good idea to catch ambients and refractive character. this will add depth. experiment with placement. you can also find charts about mic placement, but in order to use them you need to be familiar with what frequencies you're creating and what frequencies your mics are picking up. it's generally recommended to skip that part and use your ears instead, but you can certainly get all scientific about it if that's what you're into.
on the subject of your tuning and whether or not you need a 7-string: if you are happy with the way your current set-up sounds live without buying a whole new guitar, miking your amp and post-production should allow you to recreate more or less the same feeling. it's never exact. it's never perfect. but a lot can be done to make it totally awesome.
i highly recommend throwing the idea of going directly from your amp to your computer straight out the window though.
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