I guess I'm wandering through the web, so I'll bite as a fellow amateur art guy.
1. Cheap Tablets are better in the long run, because they will have a failure rate of or slightly higher/lower then brand name ones.
2. Use anything and everything. My personal favorite is Sai, which you can download for free if you look in the right places. Other programs worth trying include GIMP (completely free, but may need a plug in to work with your tablet if it's not a mainstream one), paint.net, and even the basic MS paint can be used to practice basic composition.
3. Don't learn a style, learn your style. This is hard to discuss until you get really far along drawing, but the rule's simple enough: don't just copy someone's artwork, recreate it. Much like how models of human memory work, you get more by creating your own interpretation of something then by just copying it. I had to spend a few years realizing this. Some people can take composition tips and tricks from copying, but most people starting out aren't skilled enough to realize just what they are doing.
4. Review some components of art composition. This is simple enough, and it doesn't refer to the enemy of the learning artist we call anatomy. Instead, it refers to some simple construction rules, such as Dominance, Thirds, implied lines, and the works. You notice when you look at a lot of art that it tends to employ one or two construction techniques in particular. Learning just a few tricks and experimenting with them can teach you a lot about how to make your art have some kind of stylistic approach.
5. Draw what interests you! People who say "start by drawing X" when it comes to learning art don't realize that to the non-artist, that approach detaches the personal interest from the actual material at hand. When you're self motivated, you will feel the stress of doing the artwork, but it will be focused on the task at hand, rather then the instruction. If you find something you don't draw well, just come back to it when you work on something else for a while.
6. Practice, Practice, Practice. I've been doodling in my notebook since highschool as a constant hobby. Even now, I find myself managing to learn new things that surprise me. You don't get good instantly, and I think the best way to view it is like social change. Art is generational in that each year is a new generation from the last. You can compare art annually and build on it by trying it again with the new tips you learn.
7. Take breaks. Never overstress yourself about art, especially if it's for fun. The fun part is what keeps it separate from something that should be highly stressing if you were a professional. Much like playing a videogame you like for fun, art should normally be something on the side to take a break from whatever else is going on in your life. If you suck at it at first, it's not *important* to who you are. And when you get good at it, you can always say "oh it's just a hobby" and people will think you're super cool. Mostly. Unless they're my friends who all draw way better then me and make fun of my shitty coloring :D
8. Coloring is magic, I have no advice on how to paint.