Progress!
Also, I really need a proper setup for taking photos.
Do those come pre-painted and do you glue the parts together?
Molded in colour. How accurate they are depends on the grade of the model.
The one in the pic is a 1/144 scale High Grade; mostly colour accurate aside from small details like eyes and minor things like small vents etc, which you're given stickers for.
All modern kits are snap-fit; not a drop of glue needed. Though some seam welding is ocassionally required if you're a perfectionist or plan on winning contests, it is by no means a necessity.
And obviously, the older the kit, the worse the articulation and colour seperation is going to be.
If you plan on getting one, I strongly suggest looking at
http://dalong.net/ first to see how much work is needed (though he doesn't have every kit, he tends to have most of them, especially the more recent ones).
His reviews are split into two pages; using my kit above as an example:
The Information page, with scans of the instructions and photos of the individual parts (on and off the runners) and the sticker sheets.
And
the review, with the actual review (though it's in Korean) and plenty of photos demonstrating the articulation and gimmicks of the kit.