beginner: which recorder?

hi all,
i am thinking of buying my first recorder - well, not first, exactly - once i bought one and lost it. anyway, i have decided to take one with baroque fingering just because i like baroque more than what i think "german" (beethoven-mozart) music is.
the question is: are there any guidelines as to which recorder to look for (soprano/alt/bass/?). is it purely a matter of personal taste?
i assume all recorders should have the same range, right?
thanks in advance

the tenor is 18 inches long, the hole
spacing is tough to bridge--unless your
finger ligerments are reeeal elastic. I
got this advice from a recorder-ist and
it is true. I spend more time with the soprano because of comfort.