Anyone into cycling and can recommend a road bike brand and model for beginner?

I have a Walmart bike for years. I know, really not up to task for cycling of any seriousness. Then my colleague gave me this catalog from Performance Bicycle. Things are... quite expensive.
Anyone knows what/which (mainly road bikes) are good for a beginner? I'm not interested in spending thousands of dollars on expert gears, just something to get started.

My current target:
http://www.giantnerd.com/tommaso-imola-with-carbon-fork-road-bike-beginner.html?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=productads

But doesn't seem to be available locally...

I've never gotten any better than you currently use. It works for me to go on the biking trails around here with the wife and kids.
Even the one you are looking at on the link is a bit out of my price range. This is the cost of having a wife and children I suppose.

Let me know what you end up getting. I'm a bit curious as to if you notice a true MAJOR difference.

I miss my Hot Wheel.....now that was great offroad

Lets not kid anybody...we all know this is what Grandpa looked like on his bike:

<== wow nice new avatar !!!

++ i got a GIANT in carbon but never use it !!

Soul's first pro cycling shirt

[TCP]=SP[FR]= wrote:

<== wow nice new avatar !!!

++ i got a GIANT in carbon but never use it !!

I saw a Giant 2 on craigslist for $795 but it looked too specialized to me...

So I got a road bike. It is definitely better than my older, heavier mountain bike, with a cleaner shifter and more comfortable saddle (still hurts, but not as much), quick release wheels and whatnot. Does it worth the price tag? Don't think so, but precisely because it's not cheap, I'm more inclined to take it out to get the most out of it.

Or at least that's what I want myself to think.