Hi neolite, and welcome to PSG
I have been researching tablets myself for the last couple months, and I've discovered that the the tablet really depends on the person. If you like a large surface to draw on then you could check out a Wacom Intuos 12x18 tablet. If the drawing area isn't that a big a deal, the Wacom tablets come in different sizes.
The bigger the drawing surface the bigger the price, although you can get really good deals on Wacom tablets by checking on
www.eBay.com,
www.half.com, and
www.amazon.com. Just type in "Wacom" in their search box and check out the items that come up. Be on the lookout for "New & Used" because you can get a used tablet at a signicantly cheaper price.
There are really only two models of Wacom tablets - the Graphire series, and the Intuos. They have a Cintiq tablet, but this tablet is highly specialized and costs about $2,000.
If you're a PS nut like me, who likes graphic designing, then you would probably like the Intuos2 6x8, which cost around $300. The Intuos2 comes in other sizes, ranging from 4x5 to 12x18.
Visit the Wacom website to learn more:
http://www.wacom.com/index2.cfm