I think im pretty qualified to comment here, as this was my first year carving, and ive been carving all year on a 99 Burton FP160 with Burton Rattraps and Burton Winds. I personally love my board, its turny, a little stiff before you break it in, and of premium build quality.as a starter board, its great. My basis for comparison is very valid as well, as the other slalom board ive ridden is a nearly new Pogo Overdose 162 with TD2's and deeluxe Track 325's, an obviously more expensive and quality setup. I found it easier to initiate and "pop" around to another turn.
if your looking into burton, Klug still has a few left, he has several 99 160 FP's and som R-17 addicteds, which are comparable to some of the higher end custom boards. the FP's go for about 160, and come with a sweet burton sticker and are brand new.
EDIT: i cant believe im the first to mention the R-17's they are quality carving decks, and dont tend to be more than 3-4 years old when bought NOS