[Soundy]

redliine, go back and read the post I linked you to.

Ultimately, as a beginner, the differences in technology probably won't affect you much. A much bigger concern at this stage is how comfortable each camera is for you to use. If you get one that's going to be confusing to use the menus, or has the controls in hard-to-reach locations, or one that's too heavy, or too small for your hands - in short, if you end up with a camera that's a burden for you to use - then chances are greater that you won't enjoy using it, and that will diminish your enjoyment of photography. It doesn't matter how fancy the camera is, or what anyone else thinks about your choice, if it just ends up sitting on a shelf.

You've narrowed it down to two models based on your criteria - mainly price - so the thing you want to do now is to go to the store, and play with each of them for a while. Play with the controls, snap some shots, look through the menus... nobody else's opinion will tell you which one you're more comfortable with.