I started with fantastico/cpanel too, tried some of those CMS's, and finally decided for Drupal. I no longer use cpanel for installations because once you start adding modules, you shouldn't update using fantastico.
Another option to start with is Wordpress, which is also a CMS and its learning curve is not as bad. But, if you are thinking longterm, I would advice to go with drupal.
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Florida Drupal Group, Meeting Every 3rd Saturday in Orlando
http://groups.drupal.org/florida
