My first saw was similar to the Hitachi one - a B&D Firestorm. It was underpowered, the fence would never stay put, and dust collection was lousy. But, that's how I learned about the value of high quality blades (thin kerf), how you can make a dust collection system out of an oil pan and weatherstripping, and why I invented the DuoKlamp (tm) system. The DuoKlamp system means you add a simple 6" bar clamp (from Harbor Freight of course) to the other side of your fence to make sure it doesn't move :rolf:. Making adjustments is a pain of course.
That doesn't mean you can't do fun projects with a cheap saw. I build my work bench, several book cases, a magazine stand, a dog bed and a couple of shop projects with it. But the happiest moment was when I finally upgraded to a Jet ProShop. Not only did the quality improve, the new saw also feels much safer.
So, if you can afford it, get a better saw. Doesn't matter which one as long as it has a good fence, a cast iron top, and a belt-driven motor. If you can't afford to spend more, get this one. You get to do a whole lot of woodworking, and you'll appreciate the new saw you'll buy in a couple of years that much more. Plus, you know what features to look for.