Originally Posted by
trek830
It's been a long time since I've shopped for any kind of bike, but I don't remember comfort bikes costing this much and getting so little in return. Everything on each of these bikes was pretty unimpressive,
I'm afraid that "unimpressive" is pretty much what $500 gets you these days. Bike and component prices have taken big jumps in each of the previous two years. Not that $500 bikes are junk. Far from it. But the component levels at that price point are merely what I'd term "serviceable".
The pedal-forward design you mention is a common sight these days. It lets you put your feet flat on the ground while still having a reasonable reach to the pedals. I think of pedal-forward bikes as the bikes to ride if you just want to cruise the neighborhood and say "hi" to your neighbors as you go by. The design might work for your friend if the paved path he plans to ride is fairly flat.
As far as brands go, I'd probably steer your friend towards the mainstream of Giant, Trek, Gary Fisher, Specialized, Kona.
Specialized makes a bike called the Crosstrail that is designed as a burlier-than-most hybrid. Kona has a model called the Dew. Trek and Gary Fisher both offer similar, hybrid designs.
Good luck. I don't blame your friend at being bored from walking. I'm the same way. He'll cover much more ground on a bike, see more, and hopefully have more fun.