I wrote this Digital SLR Guide with you in mind - or at least someone with the same questions

http://www.photographyreview.com/dig...rguidecrx.aspx

Lidarman did cover the main issues, and Smart Wombat gave a pretty good counterpoint. There is something to be said for superzoom compacts. I think the Konica Minolta A200 is a wonderful camera with nearly all of the flexibility of a digital SLR, and in a much smaller and lighter package. But I don't own one...