I'm not qualified to judge this, but I've heard people say the opposite: to get a good guitar, as a poor quality instrument is a big factor that tends to put people off.
> Ignore all the advice about what books and what model of guitar to buy... Get a guitar... then play as much as possible
What does that mean? randomly mash fret positions and twang strings? Surely you have to learn from something, and you don't say what.
It's like a sport at this stage, you're going to suck, but with everything you do you get better, so the best thing is to just play whatever as much as possible. It really is just a fitness thing at the start, well fitness and musical awareness.
Just for clarification: I've been playin since I was 12 and have graduated university with a music degree and still play consistently in bands and solo projects. The biggest thing I've learned thus far is that the the guitar is just a tool for making good music and lives at the service of the music being made, not the other way around.
I've been learning the uke for a year now, and after a few months, I've been irritated by my uke on some chords. Talked about it with my uke teacher, she pointed out that the string (the E string) isn't quite right (if it's in tune on the open string, then the G on that string is sharp). These things matter more than you might think.
How can you tell a cheapo acoustic from others? The main thing is the action. You should be able to easily play a barre chord at the 12th fret, and open E and the fretted E (on the 12th fret) should be in tune. The neck should have a uniform playability and there shouldn't be any dead spots when you play all over the neck, and no fret buzz. Forget about fancy abalone or mother-of-pearl inlays and elaborate finishes. Pick up the guitar and hold it right up to your face and look in the soundhole at the inside of the guitar. If you see any glue oozing between the joints inside it's sloppy and cheap workmanship, pass on it and get another guitar. The inside should be clean and dry. You shouldn't buy any instrument sight-unseen, before you can play it first or (if you are a beginner) get another player to check out for you.
It's a lot easier to find a playable AND cheap electric, like Justin recommends. But if you want an acoustic, spending more money is really, really worth it. There's something at every price point, but once you get around $2k (depends on make/model and YMMV) you start getting into good quality.