I am a Canon 450d user, and while it is superb in many ways, its still bulky. And I am looking for a micro 4/3rds camera that has DSLR quality in a smaller package ie EP-1 or GF-1. If i had bought an EP1 first, I'm not sure if i would have ever graduated to a DSLR. I got a 450d cos there was nothing at the time with the quality i was looking for at the size i was looking for. So I opted for quality instead of size.
For me, get the EP-1. As a noob, i think getting that first is your best bet. You get video to boot! You only really need the 450d for more demanding applications like studio shoots with flash, etc. For holidays, street shooting and general use, i think the EP 1 is the way to go. 2c.