I figured it's about time that I actually own a digital camera. I'm not looking for anything fancy, but considering this will be my first, I don't know much about them. So, I turn to you guys for advice. I don't know how many fancy megapixels and such I need. Movie capabilities would be nice, but if I develop Hollywood ambitions, I'll get a better one when the time comes. I don't need the crazy sepia, black and white, etc functions... that's what my computer is for. (Though I guess a lot of this stuff is standard these days.)
My price range is $200 or less.
So, let me know what basic specs and other things I should be looking for.

This is over your price but I always wanted this camera
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830144121 because the lens thingy doesnt stick out.
uhh...I guess look for cameras with autofocus

Well, if you are going for image quality, there are various aspects of it to consider. Some things that have an effect on image quality, other than the resolution, are the lens quality, the quality of the sensor, and the size of the sensor. A low quality lens might give you somewhat noticeable purple edges on some things, for example.

I'd say look for some sites with camera reviews so you can see what is good and what isn't so good (they often give some sample photos in their reviews).