d90?

The D90 has autofocus. It has in-camera autofocus so the autofocus will work even with third party lenses. (Unlike the Nikon D40, D40X and D60 where the autofocus is only in the lens and not in the camera so it will only autofocus with Nikkor lenses.) And it has 11 AF points which is the same as the D80.

The absolute best feature about the D90 is the image sensor. It has a much more powerful image sensor than other DSLR cameras in the same price range. That is the #1 reason I would recommend in the Nikon D90.

The video feature is pretty cool, and I've really loved the videos I've seen taken with it.

This camera takes absolutely incredible photos! The colors look absolutely amazing. It is such an impressive camera. You will not find a camera for the same price that is as high quality as the Nikon D90. So if it's one you're considering, I would definitely recommend it!

If you want to take photographs and have video available, it's great. If you want to take movies, you get a maximum of 2 to 5 minutes of high definition video (720p, not full HD). If VGA is good enough, then you can get 20 minutes out of the system. It is only 24fps but it is pretty good. You are right, it is manual focus only, and you have to be in Live-View to shoot movies, which means phase detection focusing without assist, and pretty awkward zooming...but it works!

Worth the money? Not as a movie camera, but a good price for an excellent still system that can also take movies. The only other option is the Canon EOS 5D II, a better camera all round and able to shoot full HD with\out the time and focus limitations... but it is a move up in price as well as class.

Now that the D90 and 5DII have broken the ice, there will be plenty of alternatives soon. Or, of you want full HD with auto-everything and a competent still camera, Canon make the ISx 10. It is an advanced compact, not an SLR (a "bridge" camera with SLR-style control), a 20x zoom and a low-noise CMOS sensor, it may suit you well.