Agent 8-Bit

Im looking into buying a synth, and want a good beginner synth(ive messed around with fruityloops and nanoloop at a friends, but ive never touched a real synth)

from what ive heard from friends and the internet, i should be getting something like the microkorg or alesis micron or something.

whats everyones opinion on this subject

tl;dr
need a synth, debating microkorg v. micron for beginners

im new here, so if this is in the wrong forum or something, my apologies.