Is Canon XS a good camera for starters?

[LittleCanonKid]

hmm, spot metering and center-weighted average (located in the same metering screen as evaluative and partial) not the same?

Center-weighted is just that, it weighs the exposure biased toward the center of the frame. Spot metering meters in a mere 3% of the image (it covers the circle surrounding the central AF point on the XSi. Take a look at its AF point spread). Partial metering, which the XS has, meters on about 9% of the middle of the frame.