Once you've got familiar with it you might want to explore the abilities of the jack, check out my thread on My first pedal so you can see what I learnt and save you time (and possible wasted expense).

Have fun

I went for fun in the end.

You appear to have had a bad experience with the mahalo uke and I would be interested to know what the problem is.

Roger

Wot I dun woz... to get to a Ukulele taster session if possible where you can try out various different makes and models and sizes. If there arn't any of these ariund your area then hit the local music stores and try out their stuff.
Both options give you the chance to speak to other musicians who'll be able to answer all your questions - possibly better than the music store (my local specialises in guitars and often (to a bit of annoyance) say "its like a guitar...").

So try before you buy. Personally we went to a taster/workshop for an event in town and we played on these cheapy £16 things (cashconverters etc might be worth a look) and we thought that was great and soon bought a Lanakai for £60 from eBay having played with one in a "real" shop in Cardiff.

Music stores a great to try out as they have loads of WAY too expensive ones and some cheap n nasty ones so you can get the spectrum of price/quality/brand/size.

Start with a cheap (like my "[more spam]")to get the feel of it then when you feel you deserve better (and you do and will) look to get one of a higher quality.

The last thing you want to do is fork out £80+ for something thats too small or that sounds/feels not so great. See my sig for the 3 I've got, Cheap but good enough "'ol yellah", smoother louder LU51 (her's indoors) and my toy the Electro Acoustic & pedals.

GuitarPix made a reference to strings, I wouldnt worry about these yet (IMHO) until you're getting into pro territory. I guess they'll sound better but I'm yet to change my strings, I'm an "if it aint broke" kind of player.

Hope this helps, have fun "researching".

It really all depends on the sound you want... A tenor, soprano, or concert size will give you more of the traditional uke sound. However, a baritone uke is a really great crossover instrument! It has the same tuning as the guitar (DGBE) and therefore the same fingerings, so It's easy to pick up and start playing right away! It can also be restrung and tuned to GCEA tuning for the more traditional uke voice... For a first venture I'd probably go with a baritone. That way you know you'll get some immediate use out of it.  I have to say ,though, that there is just something about strumming the smaller tenor or soprano ukes... It's impossible not to smile while doing so
  Money-     A good beginner uke (depending on style/size) will probably be in the neighborhood of 75-100 bucks.. If you can play them first you can buy cheaper and still come out okay... The problem with cheaper ukes is consistency. There is no truss rod so the neck angle has to be right and set solid for it to last, play well, or sound decent... So buying a $40-50 uke online can be risky... But if you want to do it, check for a return policy just in case.
  Brands-    Here are a few that I've had good experiences with in that price range. Kala, Lanikai, Oscar Schmidt, and Hilo. Amigo, would be a good brand to look into as well! They are a cheaper company but all I hear are good reviews from the uke forums. They have solid topped models starting at around $60 bucks!  I've never tried them but Tops has a Fender that looks cool!
I'd also suggest picking up some quality strings. They make a world of difference on a uke!  Aquila's or Worth strings would be a good choice (IMO)....

You won't regret the uke venture  They're a real joy! -Pix