Tigs advice is great. This whole site is an amazing library of excellent tips and recommendations. The beginners and newbies section is so good, well, they have a whole section devoted to it. Most forums don't.

I also like the idea of starting out with an acoustic guitar. You don't have to buy much gear to get started. Also, if you take guitar lessons, an acoustic is more portable and preferred by most teachers.

Speaking of lessons, you should check out Robert Renman's Master Guitar Academy. That guy has a lot of clout around here.