If you get a Rebel XT (or XTi) I'd suggest you also look at some point to get the battey grip for it (BG-E3, I believe) and some additional batteries (but don't buy Canon's - get them from Steringtek in Arizona - I bought 4 from them at a fantastic price).
The advantages are you will never run out of juice (with two batteries in the grip instead of one) and the grip makes the camera feel more solid and also has controls on it that naturally fit your hand when you're shooting portrait instead of landscape (including a shutter button).
The grip also comes with a caddy for AA's instead of the rechargables if you really get in a power jam. It's a must, IMO, and I can't imagine not using it on ours.
The advantages are you will never run out of juice (with two batteries in the grip instead of one) and the grip makes the camera feel more solid and also has controls on it that naturally fit your hand when you're shooting portrait instead of landscape (including a shutter button).
The grip also comes with a caddy for AA's instead of the rechargables if you really get in a power jam. It's a must, IMO, and I can't imagine not using it on ours.