Im with MikeB and rickair on this one too (even though I went to UND). I followed a very similar path to what MikeB discussed. I got my private at a local FBO while back in high school. Because money was tight and I was going to school and working, it took me longer than it should have (about 70 hours) but it didn't cost me nearly as much as it would have at "pilot factory". Don't let a school sell you solely on their equipment. Yes, a brand new 172 with G1000s is nice and a good learning experience but not every airplane you jump into is going to have dual GPSs and a huge moving map display. I think its better to learn the hard/old way first. That way you have the basics and all those gizmos just make life easier. I laughed my a$$ off when I was in school and a DC-9 pilot from NWA came into my IFR procedures class and was talking about the -9 and how it didn't have a GPS. Just a sea of disbelief on all those fresh young faces.

Another phenomenom you'll discover with "pilot factories" is the bubble effect. In an area with intensive training, a set of de facto procedures develop themselves and then when you get out of "the bubble" where those don't apply, you are stumped! My favorite example is gassing up an airplane. I did it a million times while working on my private but because at UND we have these nice guys in a fuel truck who pull up and top you off the minute you jump out of the airplane, we have guys get all the way through CFI, etc who have NEVER put gas in a plane! "Ground the airplane before fueling, wtf does that mean!?" Moral of the story? All of my private students get gas on their first cross country wether we need it or not.

Bottom line, bells and whistles are nice but not always worth the cost. If you only want to fly for an airline (besides missing out on the true joys of flying), they will teach you what you need to know and how they want you to know it when you get there. Just make sure you weigh the costs and the benefits.