What should I be looking for more pix, or speed, etc?
All of this depends on what you plan on photographing. If you're shooting sports, look for something that has more frames per second. Three fps is a good start. If you're shooting indoors a lot, look for something with a high ISO range. Make sure it goes to at least 1600 or 3200.
I'm a Canon user and find them very easy to use. Their interfaces have improved through the last couple of years. Nikon makes great cameras, too. Between those two brands, I think you're getting the best quality of images for the best price. However, I agree with imfallen_ angel above — you need to go to a store and try different brands to see what feels best. If you're looking to stick to a budget of about $1,000, see if you can get a setup with a couple of lenses. If you can get a wide angle and a telephoto for under $1,000, you're pretty much set up for any shooting situation.
As far as Canon goes, I can recommend just about anything in the Rebel series. They're affordable, good quality cameras that I've used to shoot on assignments for newspapers and magazines when I first got started professionally. You can find them just about anywhere and they're pretty simple to figure out.
If you want a really good resource for camera reviews, check out www.dpreview.com. They've got a database with just about every camera on the market with comprehensive reviews.
However, a couple of warnings before you step into a store:
Don't get caught up in megapixels: They really aren't that big of a deal. Actually, with many cameras, the more pixels they cram in, the more likely your images could actually begin to deteriorate. Be careful with this. You really don't need 20+ megapixels unless you're shooting for billboards or you're really that picky about image detail.
Also, your camera should last for quite some time. You don't have to spend a lot of money in a camera body to get something good. If I were you, I'd spend about $800 on a camera and see if you can't find $400 or so to spend on a nice lens. Fixed aperture is nicer than variable, which will likely give you better luck shooting indoors or sports.
Maybe I got too detailed, but I love this stuff. Good luck!