At best, I'm probably an intermediate level guitarist, but after reading some advice from more seasoned guitarists on Quora and being scared away from guitar for years because I read that "if you can't practice an hour a day, you just shouldn't practice," I thought I'd weigh in on how I'd start guitar if I were starting from scratch. So, yeah, this isn't how I actually got here, but with some hindsight, this is what I'd do now. Who knows, as I gain more experience, I may change my tune from what I write here.
1st, it's probably best to determine what your goals are. If you want to be an expert guitarist or a pro in the shortest time possible, then yes, you should practice at least an hour a day, if not more. If you just want to be a casual player, possibly play at a few gigs in the not too distant future, or have no idea what you want to do yet, then relax. Realize that you picked up the guitar for fun, not for profit or fame, so you have some options as to how you can get better. As I mentioned in my previous post, put some time aside with some consistency. I don't have kids or other massive responsibilities, so dedicating 15 minutes a day is something I can do even on days when I have to groan through it (which are few).
As far as equipment goes, it's your choice. Electric guitars require more equipment, but the action (distance between the fret board and the strings) is lower, so it's less painful for your fingertips (though, you're going to have pain regardless. Calluses for me formed in earnest in about 2 weeks, and after a couple of months I don't think I felt any lingering pain.
In either case, I'd recommend some method of recording yourself (even if just for a few bars) and a drum machine of some sort. The effects pedal I have contains the ability to loop for 30 seconds and has several drum beats built in. This is more than sufficient. Having drums and way to play against a backing player will increase your ability to keep time much faster than using a metronome and is usually a lot more fun.
Now that you've got the equipment sorted out, you've got to figure out what to play. This tab site offers a lot of popular songs and doesn't require you to learn to read music first (which I'd recommend you do sooner rather than later - you don't need to be able to sight read in time, but it is good to be able to read both tab and music. Tab's great if you know the song, but it doesn't give you any idea of rhythm). You'll need some sort of method book if you're not taking lessons. One recommendation is the Hal Leonard Guitar Method. Don't feel like you have to go page by page through any book or that you can't try more advanced techniques if the mood strikes you. There's not a linear path, and sometimes by picking up more advanced techniques (say, scales if you haven't mastered basic chords) your brain bridges the gap faster. Just make sure you don't get overwhelmed.
So, what to start with? Before starting with songs (don't worry, you'll be able to get to songs in about a day or two - you just need to get comfortable with a few chord shapes before selecting songs that match those shapes), start with power chords. These are as basic as you're going to get, can move around the fret board easily, and are actually prevalent in a lot of rock, so you can play some popular songs.
After familiarizing yourself with power chords, pick up the open (or Cowboy) chords. These are the ones people learn when they're typically first taught guitar. They'll take more finger contortion than power chords, but are also a strong foundation for a lot of popular music.
Now that you've at least looked at a few chords (and hopefully tried to play through them), it's time for song selection and practicing with real music!
However, I've rambled on too long in this post, so that's up next.
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