I play both and I think they are both radically different instruments. They are played differently in that one uses a light touch with a different style pick and the other needs to have more projection with a larger or stouter pick or finger picks or bare fingers. The style of music is important here and the great motivator is to sound like the musician that you admire.

The beauty of the guitar is that it is capable of so many different styles of music.

I have heard parents say that they want their kids to start off with acoustic due to their prejudice against rock or that acoustics are cheaper and that if the kid doesn't continue, it's not so hard on the pocket book. This is starting with a negative. If the kid really wants rock, then IMHO buy the best rock guitar you can, a good Strat, Les Paul or Tele etc. The better the instrument, the more incentive to practice it and the resale value is better if you have to sell it. The worst thing you can do is to put an acoustic clunker in a student's hands. The same goes for an electric.

Many kids have been turned off music by inferior instruments.

Putting a bad instrument in a kid's hands says a lot about the parent's attitude toward the value of learning music.

Frank Hamilton