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I second the recommendations about a dslr. You can use them as a point and shoot camera until you're ready to start learning how real photographers shoot. Mine has never had any noticeable shutter lag except possibly in burst mode.

The newer ones have articulated lcd's and video which is very good. I'd look at Canon first, the Rebel models are cheaper and excellent. I was looking at a Canon 500D myself but decided to wait, had almost all the features of the full dslr series plus video.

The Canon 40D was a really nice model, too, and should be a lot cheaper now, but it doesn't have video or an articulated lcd, does have a large, bright lcd.

The lens you choose is just as important as the camera. If you can afford it, choose one from the L series that has good zoom capabilities and just buy the body.

Nikons are very good, too, just that when I got mine, Canon had a better choice of lenses that were cheaper. But they take great photos in the right hands. Amazon is an authorized Canon dealer, and you can catch them on good price days. Stay away from iffy places. b&h photovideo is reputable. Buying on the internet will save you on sales tax unless you live in a state that collects them, and local camera shops will probably not offer any discounts.