DSLR?

I'm looking at getting a new entry-level-ish DSL camera. I've narrowed it down to :

Nikon D60
Canon D450
Sony a200 or Sony a300

Really, I'm leaning towards the Canon because everything I've heard points to Canon as a reliable choice. I'm leaning away from the Nikon because it seems a bit "dated" according to reviews and on par with their 40Dx. The Sony seems like a nice price choice - the a200 has the same features as the a300 minus live view and a movable screen.

Does anyone have any experience with these or friends or something? I've been reading a ton of reviews, but I'd like to hear if anyone here has anything to add.

the nikon 40D is what I have and really, the only thing that would date a D-SLR is the software. Which for me, is very minimal, so if you're going to work with an SLR, think more about what kind of lenses you will be working with, as that's like the entire point of them.