Whether you’re into acoustic or electric, as a beginner go with electric.  If you’re the type of person who tends to buy self-improvement type things (treadmill, exercise bike, etc.) only to use them a few times and let them rot away, go cheap.  A decent beginner electric can be had for around $150.

The advantages of electric guitars are: no warping of the neck, less chance for string breakage, easier to tune, can be played quietly without annoying everyone in the house (especially important for a beginner), can be played extremely loud thus annoying everyone not only in the house but on the block .  The neck won’t warp because there is a truss rod (a strong steel rod that runs down the middle) in it.  With acoustic guitars you have to detune (loosen the strings) when you’re done playing to prevent warpage.  Acoustic guitars use nylon strings which tend to break easy.  To tune an electric guitar you just plug in to a tuner and what you see is what you get.  With acoustic you have to rely on a small microphone embedded in the tuner to accurately pick up the vibration of the strings.  Electric guitars can be played without being plugged in and you can hear it, but the people in the other parts of your house won’t.  This is good when practicing and training.  Another way to keep the sound to yourself, is through headphones.  That way you can still have your overdrive and effects without disturbing anyone.  With acoustic there are only two choices to keep your sound to yourself.  You can strum the strings really soft or lock yourself away in a sound proof room.  Lastly, on those days when you just want to let loose and rock, with an acoustic you have to mic up and blast a PA system, but with electric it’s just you, your guitar, an overdriven amp, and your attitude!  Oh yeah, don’t forget to put the volume on maximum. Rock On!