Bike trainer recommendations

Find a Kurt Kinetic road machine or a Cycle Ops Fluid 2 on sale or in the classified here or on ST and buy it.

Get something (2X4, phone book, etc) to prop your front wheel up to level.
Put a towel over your handlebar headset so you don't rust it to death in one season.
Get a fan that actually makes you a bit chilly and keep it on high blowing right on you
Get Spinervals, Carmichael Training System, and/or Sufferfest videos to work out to over the winter.
Put a towel or rubberized mat (puzzle floors work great) under your bike and trainer so you don't sweat into the carpet or dissolve the floor with sweat.

Other than that, no, no real suggestions.

What is a kinetic? Is that the type with just the three rollers?

Nope, it's a brand name. Kurt Kinetic Fluid or Kurt Kinetic Road Machine.

You're thinking of rollers. Those are made by quite a few people but I believe you're thinking about Kreitler Rollers. Yeah, I'd recommend those in a heartbeat.

X2 on the Kurt Kinetic trainer.  I've bought one used a year ago and absolutely love it.

X3 on Kurt Kinetic Road Machine.  Really happy with it, just bought it a few weeks ago.  I'm near a performance bike store, they had it on sale, and a 15% off coupon.  I think I got it out the door with tax just under $300.  Had a hard time finding it online even for that amount.  And performance has a good return policy if I had any issues.

Maybe this is a crazy question regarding trainers.  Can you use mountain bikes on them, specifically with the knobby tires, or do you needs road tires?  I race mountain bikes (novice) and won;t be buying my first road bike until after the holidays.

Computrainer

kurt kenetic

There are rim drive trainers available that actually clamp onto the braking surface of the rim instead of against the tire.  Or, I would think you could just install a slick rear tire on the MTB and use a regular trainer.  I don't think it would be a good idea to use a normal trainer with the knobby tires though.  You'd probably trash the tire and cover the room in rubber fairly quickly.

I would recommend rollers over a trainer, but that is me.

Can't go wrong with a KK or CycleOps fluid trainer.  You can even train by power with them using either the bike computer KK sells or use the spreadsheet available on Jorge's winter cycling plan.  I bought my KK road machine on Craigslist.