Need Advice...

My roommate rides a full-suspension mtb and he always says to make sure the front shocks are in some way damped, i.e. not just on springs. Front shocks that just use a couple of big springs apparently take ages to stop bobbing up and down after you hit an obstacle or use the front brake.

Thanks for helping out a newbee!

Anyone else?

I'd recommend asking your local shop for the specific models of each brand that are within your price range. Then, at least component-wise, you can start making a few comparisons.

That being said, most reputable-name (of which all of the ones you mention are) mountain bikes of that price level are really quite similar.

The front shocks generally won't be suitable for hard and fast riding, but will be good enough for basic trail work.

Also, if you don't already have them, don't forget to budget for essentials like a helmet, spare tube, patch kit, etc.

I would recommend the Giant Terrago, i almost got one myself 18 months ago (I got the Giant XTC SE4 in the end because of the hydraulic disc brakes). I tried a huge variety of bikes and the Giant's accelerate so fast in comparison to the others, i think the Terrago comes with Hutchinson Scorpion tyres as well, which perform really well and are not cheap.