Iād suggest going to your local guitar shop to see how each feel. Bring a pick and sit down with a few in your price range.
You donāt even need to worry about plugging one in if youāre a bit self conscious about playing around other people. (Iām really talking about me here). Sitting down with one to see how it feels is huge. See which neck shape fits your hand. See which body shape sits best in your lap.
Hi David and welcome
Ideally have the guitar sitting on your right thigh (assuming you arenāt a lefty!), with the neck running out to your left knee. Thatās the normal position when sitting. If you wear a strap adjust it so the guitar is pretty much in the same position but you can just get your fingers underneath the body. When you play standing up the guitar will then be at the same height. 
Hi Toby,
Thank you, for the welcome and the tips. Maybe I just need to get used to it , but I found I was struggling when changing to a B Minor (although I am still working on it in general), for example, as the neck was closer to my leg than Iām used to - if that makes sense?
David
Have you tried raising the neck up, around 30-45 degrees for horizontal ? Really makes a big difference to the angle that the fretting hand sits on the neck. Takes the pressure off the wrist.
Look at the pros. It aint for show it just makes things easier. Ironically not for tutorials, thatās why all online teachers including Justin, teach with a perpendicular guitar.
Cheers
Toby
As a beginner it is definitely easier on the fingers to learn on an electric guitar as less pressure is required because the strings are lower to the fretboard. I have been playing for 18 months and have 2 East Coast guitars, one of which was purchased from Andertons and one 2nd hand online. I opted for the Les Paul style copy and an acoustic model. The finish and sound is very good on both and you certainly get value for your money. The Strat and Tele copies also look good value. If your budget stretches you might look at the starter bundles which include a small amp. Although this is not essential in the initial learning phase it does help you to understand what the guitar actually sounds like. What I did like with Andertons was that the guitars are quality checked before they are sent out. They are probably not the only company that provides this service but it does help to know that someone has checked that the setup is of a standard. The Harley Benton range is also very good and there are a few other beginner guitars that appear to offer similar value. Standards of manufacture have improved so much over recent years that you do not need to spend a fortune to get a playable instrument with good specs. If you still unsure which to choose then as recommended by others in this thread a visit to a music store would probably be worthwhile and give you a chance to try out several models. Happy Hunting and good luck with your learning.
Hi Beth . Jet guitars are getting really good reviews. Ā£149 for a strat type guitar. Has a bone nut and the roasted maple neck and a push in tremolo . These are usually found on high end guitars they play really well. i own quite a lot of guitars from Fender strat to les paul. The guitars are amazing for the money. I have bought one for myself . Love it.
If it is affordable to stretch for a small amp, even a headphone amp, I would recommend it. Although you can practice without, I find it much more fun and motivating to hear the amplified guitar. Especially with playing songs, which should be a significant part of practice.
You in the same boat i am only i think i really messed up. I went to electric and got a Kramer night \Swan. Didnāt realize at the time how difficult setting up would be. Was and still can be a pain. If your only two weeks in and want a good starter guitar. I would look at maybe a fender squire, Yamaha Pacifica. As advice for now stay away from anything that has a floating bridge. Leveling of the bridge, angle it sits at, how you change the strings can really screw things up . BIG PAIN lol
Hi Toby,
Thanks for the advice. Iāll give that a tryā¦as soon as my new strings arrive. Iāve some how managed to break one already!
But I think thatās what I need to do. I was surprised at how different it felt going from an acoustic to an electric, actually.
Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.
@bethruk
Just be careful if you practice playing electric guitar āacousticallyā. The danger is you develop sloppy fretting and donāt realise because your guitar is not amplified.
When you do eventually āplug inā youāll discover all the buzzy, muted notes that you were previously unaware of.
If you canāt afford an amp then use headphones along with one of the little headphone amps that plug into your guitar.
Edit: have a read at this discussion over here.
Vox Amplug, Fender Mustang Micro, iRig 2 or
Iād echo @sairfingers. Learning on an unamplified electric can hide all sorts of issues with how you are fretting or strumming the guitar. In short you might not be progressing as well as you think. Some, any amplification would be better than none. You should be able to pick up older solid state amps relatively cheaply online or as Gordon has suggested look at some headphone alternatives.
Thank you everyone for your very helpful advice. Itās interesting what you say about the amps, and I have been looking at whatās available.
I was hoping to decide on a guitar today and order, so I can get back to practising, but I havenāt finished looking at the options. I am leaning towards Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH IMPBL ā Thomann UK recommended by @DarrellW .
So I have an old Sunn Mustang, licensed by Fender, and itās the cheapest strat copy you can get with a fender endorsement, I think.
However, I gave it to a good local luthier, and with a fret level, new nut and proper setup, itās like a different guitar in terms of playability. Ā£60 well spent. The best guitar isnāt going to be great if itās badly set up, and it turns out you can do a lot with a budget guitar. So my advice would be to do what you can with your budget and find someone who really can set it up properly.
If you do decide to go down that route (which I think is ok) there are a few small inexpensive but decent Amps sold also by Thomann; if you want any advice ask, inevitably people have different ideas, I donāt think an Amp plug is the best idea, most amps have headphone sockets but also have the facility for you to be able to play for friends and family which Iām sure you will want to further down the line!
You would have Ā£45 left from your budget so could get something, if you could stretch it by about another Ā£20 you could get something much better.
I think that these are worth you looking at and looking for reviews on YT, I do know which I would choose but think that should be your choice, they are all ok for this price point.
@Jamolay , I have taken your advice on board. I have tried adjusting the truss rod, but it hasnāt made any difference. I have ordered some silk and steel strings, which apparently are easier on the fingers, so when I change the strings I will have a go at sanding down the nut, and maybe saddle. Not sure if I will be able to remove the nut, as it seems to be glued in, but Iāll have a go. Thanks for the encouragement 
To be fair, the MS-2 makes a nice ornament.
But thatās all.
Cheers,
Keith
You can google how to remove a nut. They shouldnāt be glued in too hard. There is a bit more risk and a bit more work, cleaning old glue and re-glueing so use your judgement on what you feel comfortable tackling. I new nut isnāt expensive, but would also have to be adjusted.