I kind of agree with the previous post. For digital SLRs, both Canon and Nikon are excellent. Sony is so so. Personally, I like Nikon better because their dSLRs feel sturdy, fit well in my hands and just take great pictures without much effort. Canon takes good pictures as well, but the build quality is not as great.

Among the nikons, I recommend D80. It might be a little pricier than D40x, but it's a much better deal. The lenses you can buy for Nikon 40x are more expensive in general (not because the optics is different, but rather because the lens needs to have a built-in motor that the D80 doesn't require) and the options are limited. Also, D80 has better features, although you may not need all of them, especially if you intend to use the camera for casual family photography and such.

Also, as the previous post mentions, lens quality is as important as, if not more important than your camera. Spend on a good lens.