The setup you purchase will not EVER make you successful (refer to car/driving ability statement for clarification). If you are new to smoking, my suggestion is buy a 100 dollar side box smoker from wal-mart and learn on that. Use the least amount of creature comforts like guages, probes, timers, etc. and learn how to use your own senses. I have made ribs on those 30 dollar square grills that turned out perfect. You will spend more time babysitting your cook, but that is part of the learning process. Once you learn your first grill, it's time to upgrade! You will have to learn that one too but if you're on a good path, you will have it figured after one cook. To toss in my own recommendation; you will spend anywhere from 150 - 300 bucks on a good starter pit, I would recommend the Oklahoma Joe Highland model for a 1st smoker. It controls temp very well, sturdy construction, good for a modest budget.
After you get a good hold on controlling your cook (without the use of gizmos and gadgets) then you should start looking at digital if you're interested in more advanced strategies. Good luck to ya and keep us posted!
