I'm also pretty much a novice, and picked up the
Masterbuilt GS40 at
amazon. It was $159 when I bought it about 4 weeks ago, seems to be $195 now. Check around and you might find a deal.
Amazon does have a cover and a cast iron pan that they recommend to buy with it. I bought both for a total addition of about $30.
I wholeheartedly agree with everyone suggesting you get the Maverick ET-732 thermometer as well. This smoker is VERY easy to maintain temp, but the built-in thermometer isn't any good at reading temp.
For a first smoke, I suggest pork butt. It's tolerant of temp swings, can take a lot of smoke, and unlike ribs (which are hard to judge temp and doneness), you can pretty much go by temp. When the internal gets to be about 200, you're good to go. It takes longer than ribs, but with a propane smoker, there's no worry about temp fluctuation and adding more fuel like you'd have with charcoal.
Good luck! As I said, I'm still a novice, but with proper research and preparation, my family and friends have LOVED everything I've made so far.