The EOS gets good reviews, but Id personally go for a Pentax K1000D if I were to get a DSLR. A forum member has one. Theyre very well designed, simple to use, and overlooked. The plain K1000 is great if you want to shoot actual film
The street price on a K1000D is @600USD as a frame of reference.
If youre talking about me, its a K10D
and yes, its a bloody great camera! even makes me look like I know what Im doing on occasion (which is hard).
There is also the K100D which is a slightly cheaper model (circa £400 vs £600 for the K10). The K100 has a slightly smaller viewfinder image, is generally a smaller camera and has more "novice friendly" shooting modes. The K10 has better resolution (10.2mp), faster continuous drive and more buttons and dials to play with.
Both have Shake Reduction built into the camera which neither Canon nor Nikon have. Well worth a consideration if youre looking at a DSLR and dont already have an investment in glass. Jessops usually carry Pentax, Olympus, Nikon and Canon kit so its well worth getting them to let you play with all 4 before you make up your mind. Horses for courses and all that, the Pentax is best for me but might not be best for you.