Don't let the lack of an in-body motor scare you away. While beginners tend to stick with the kit lens and advanced amateurs upgrade to more expensive lenses, the average hobbyist usually has a long zoom, a mid range and a prime lens which are all available in AF-S format and are not that expensive compared to non AF-S lenses.
Unless you're planning on doing photography for a living, are a die-hard camera enthusiast or simply someone who is able to sleep better at night thinking that they have a technologically superior product, you should just buy the product which you can easily afford.
Overall Nikon provides you somewhat better quality mainstream lenses whereas Canon's quality really shines in its L lenses but they are cost-prohibitive.
With that said, I would suggest Nikon D5000, which comes with the same sensor D90 has and gives you far superior quality pics which even a novice like me could appreciate. So essentially you're getting D90-esque pic quality at a not so D90 price. Now buy a camera already and share your pics with us!