Camcorder

Nathan and I are in the market for a camcorder to capture all the firsts of our little one. However, we have no idea what to get. DVD vs. hard drive vs Mini DV? is one better than the other? Right now we have a fuive year old computer that probably couldn't support doing a bunch of video editing, but that will probably change in a year or two. We do have a dvd burner, so the hard drive one might be the way to go. What are good brands for camcorders? We are also not looking to break the bank espicially if we have to buy all the extras like a long life battery, case, and tripod.