Hubby bought a canon 350D + accessories on ebay and loves it. It cost him around the £200 The images he produces are equal to mine (and sometimes better but don't tell him that) and I have the 40D which was four times the price!! (present for my 40th)
Before I bought mine, the advice was to try holding a different cameras to get a feel for which feels like it fits best. This was great advice as I was leaning towardes a Nikon, but with diddy fingers I couldn't reach the shutter button comfortably. They also differ in weight, mine ismuch heavier than Mr Ds which I like, but he prefers the lightness of his own.
Finally there should be a warning attached cos it is totally addictive and I now have my eye on various lenses and tripods etc that will all keep me poor!!
Good luck with whichever you decide to go with!!