I bought my wife an EX500(1993) as her first bike, but since she has been too busy to learn, I have been riding it.
My first impression was that it was too small for me (6'1", 220 lb.), but I have been putting some miles on it lately, and it is a lot of fun! It is not sophisticated, but that means that maintenance (2 cylinders, screw-and-lock-nut valve adjustment) is easy, and you can save money by doing it yourself.
Someone posted on another forum that it is better to learn to ride full out on a less powerful, less intimidating bike than to learn to ride at quarter throttle on a full-out sportbike. I don't know your riding experience, but you might keep this in mind.
That said, I would agree that the F3 (or F2) is a smoother, better-suspended, better-braking bike with more power, but may not be the best bike if you are just starting out. Used EX500's seem to be going for about $2500, and they seem to be pretty stable price-wise from year to year. You might be able to get one and trade up after a year or two with little loss. I got my wife's for $1800, with less than 7K on the clock.
------------------
Scanner