I would watch out for off-brands… you can pay under $100 for a new guitar from a questionable company, but you may find you outgrow it quickly. I started with a Martin D15, and it’s still great, years later (that’s not my only guitar, but it’s still my main one). Martin’s very good; you might also look at Taylor, Ovation, Takamine, Yamaha, Ibanez, Epiphone or Fender (though the last two are better known for electrics). Handle some of these, learn to spot what’s quality and what isn’t. I wouldn’t rule out a well made unknown brand, but then again, I’ve been playing long enough to have a clue about such things.

If you have a local guitar resource (teacher, experienced friend), bring them with you if possible when you go guitar shopping. Seek advice if you think you found a good deal on eBay or Craigslist.. you can find good deals there, but also drek. At least locally, you have the option of returning it.

You can look for an acoustic-electric, sure.. you can also have an acoustic fitted with a pickup system. Take a careful look, though.. some acoustic electrics are basically just acoustics with a pickup system, others are lighter and thinner, intended primarily for amplified use. An acoustic-electric though an amp sounds like an acoustic, of course… and you ideally use a neutral amp with, not the sort with a bit of "character" you’d use to make your electric crunchier.

Don’t cheap out. You should try to play every day (I hear my Martin calling me now, in fact), and if there’s a problem with your guitar, that’s just one more thing driving you away. Well treated guitars hold value pretty well, so there’s not a huge win in the "well, what if you don’t play it" argument.. and also, this isn’t something to enter with an exit strategy. You’re going to be successful, and so buying a guitar that’s going to carry you at least past you "beginner" stage is critical to ever getting past that beginner stage.

Handle them. Try out several, see what feels better. Make sure the neck’s not too thick/wide for your hands (if you know the "D" chord, xx0323, try to wrap your thumb around to the low-E string, thus forming a D/F#… if you can’t reach, the neck is too large). Listen for a good sound.. if you’re just strating out, get someone else to play it for you (your sound on the same guitar gets better with practice, of course).

I just bought a Daisy Rock "Pixie" for my daughter’s birthday next month… probably a bit too pink for you, but at $200, that’s about as low as I’d go for a beginner’s guitar, and you can certainly pay more.. that’s new of course.
References :
Some good on-line advice:
http://www.acousticfingerstyle.com/BuyingGuitars.htm
http://guitar.about.com/od/acousticguitar/tp/top5acoustics.htm