RE: Buying my first bow. Ideas?
For a first bow I would not recommend a Mathews or any other bow thathas draw length specific cams. It might take some time to get your draw length where it's optimized for you and as such the bow should be adjustable for this. Nor would I pick one ultra short. Do not overbow yourself. Pick something that you can handle EASILY. Learning to shoot well and establish good repeatable form is hard enough without having to struggle to draw a bow. Try a bunch and see what feels good and is within a reasonable budget. In my opinion $700-$900 are best left to those with many years of experience, if at all.
NOW, my recommendation? Something like the 2008 Martin MOAB at a retail of about $430. A really good bang for the buck.
My second recommendation is to buy good quality accessories. Once you get the bug like the rest of us you might want to upgrade in a couple years and accessories can move from bow to bow. Adding to that you'll have less noise and breakage problems with good accessories.