Probably the toughest choice of wanting to become a drummer is knowing which kind of drum set to start yourself off with without breaking the bank and to get something more than junk.
    When buying your first drumset, a smart thing to consider is yourself.  Are you REALLY that excited about wanting to learn drums? Do you have a tendancy to get really excited about things and then not stick with them for a while?  Do you feel that you have a great sense of rhythm and think that could help you in becoming a good drummer?
    With all that considered, it can help you determine how much money you are willing to invest.  I've been using the same set for almost 4 years and it is plenty enough for what I need at the moment and it cost me about 1200 dollars for the drums and cymbals.  My first set I had cost me 400 bucks for everything, so if you're low on cash but want to be a drummer (like i was) then a cheap set could be the path to freedom!
    Cheap is definitely the best way to go if you're just starting drumming and wanting to give it a try to see if it's the hobbie/lifestyle for you.  There are some great cheap sets out there that can get the job done. 
    Of course, when people pick out drumsets, it is completely up to personal taste of what sound they like.  I'm not a fan of the Pearl Forum series drumsets because their tone sounds too deep and kinda "muddy", if you will.  From what i've discovered, if you have a little extra money and want to put a little more into a drumset, then get a Yamaha Rydeen series.  Yamaha is a great name to trust, being that i have a Yamaha set right now.  The Rydeen series will run you about 500 dollars, for just the drums and hardware.  This means you would have to buy a cymbal pack as well, which you could get for not very much (100-200 dollars).  Zildjian makes a low end cymbal called the ZBT series.  They aren't bad for the price.  The only problem is when i had one, it didn't take too long before it had been cracked.  Sabian also makes a good low end called the Solar series.  I have never used them before, but being a drummer who uses Sabian, i could presume they are decent.
    If 500-700 dollars is too much for you, then I would recommend the starter set that I had: Percussion Plus.  You could get the entire drum set PLUS cymbals for about 400 dollars.  That would be everything you'd need to play drums, except drum sticks, for 400 dollars.  I would recommend this set for beginners since i've experienced it myself and it doesn't sound bad and was great for me to learn on. 
    Another thing to remember when you're just getting started and have a very inexpensive drumset, is that the quality of the sound of the drums isn't going to be that amazing.  But you have to understand that it's just the drumset and if you really are serious about becoming a drummer, then you can upgrade once your skills are at a higher level. 
    A small thing also to consider when starting drums if what size of drum sticks.  Personally, i like using 7As.  They are small which allows me to move a little faster.  The downside, is that they break more often.  Since you're just beginning being a drummer, i would recommend a larger stick, like a 5A or bigger, that way you won't break drumsticks as often and won't have to pay to get new ones.
    All in all, the happiest time of my day is when i'm playing my drum set.  Drums are really fun to learn, it just takes getting over that hill at the beginning to where you get the hang of things.  From there, it's just rocking out and learning more and having fun!