The best professional digital cameras still can not match the quality of even the throw away 35 mm cameras.
That being said, if you are still determined to go digital, the best deal going right now is the Nikon D70.
Digital technology is progressing at a decent rate. So if you decide to invest in top of the line digital today, in ten years you will have a nice paper weight.
If you buy a top of the line 35mm, in ten years you will still have a decent camera.