Buying a Guitar: HELP!!!!

So,

I decided a while back to start learning how to play instruments. I figured that since I can't seem to sing anymore (as my wife keeps reminding me) that I'd get my music fix by instruments instead. Well, eventually I went and picked myself up a Yamaha DTX Electric Drum kit and I've got beat one and two down. Now I need to learn fills, etc.

With the deployment baring down on me, I decided that it would be better not to try to tak drum kit and to try to get a guitar to learn how to play. One of the fellow ET's on the ship is ae the huge guitar head. We talked back and forth and he busted out his magazines and hundreds of pictures on his current prospects. We kept talking and he asked me what my favorite bands were: Metallica, U2, Mercy Fall, Seether, Skillet, GnR, Bon Jovi, Life Church! Eric Beeman, etc. He said that a majority of my fav's used Ibanez guitars. On top of that, he said that the Ibanez's used the same types of necks for both electric and acoustic. That's a good thing because I want something easy to play. According to most guitarists, electric is easier, but I should learn an acoustic first.

Some people have said some things for me to look for. Well, about the only think I know how to do on a guitar is tune it and I'm not that great at it. So yeah, I'll look for action, inlays, etc., but how am I to know what the difference is? I just want to pick up a decent sounding guitar that anyone can learn to play and not be embarrased by its sound when a pro picks it up. Any suggestions?