Well, I stand corrected - apparently there are tail rotor helis for under $100. I will say this tho - as a mostly consistent rule you get what you pay for. Yes, some brands may be over-priced but usually those that are priced low are priced low for a reason. So I echo your warning - buyer beware!! A 28" RTF heli for only $80 is a red flag to me, as in, there's alot of something cheap going on here and cheap usually means difficult/poor flying which is the #1 or #2 reason people are turned-off from the hobby. That said, I could be wrong - the 9104 might fly just fine. I would strongly recommend finding some user reviews before buying, and maybe some actual flight footage as well. There are just too many gimmicks out there. (BTW, even a 28" heli can't handle much wind)

ps. Helicopters may be harder to fly than fixed wing, but with the right start they really aren't that bad, especially if your interest is scale and basic flight. 3D flying is, of course, more challenging. You mention getting easily bored and I will admit coaxial helis can get boring pretty quickly, but they are good throttle training. Jumping right in to tail-rotor helis can be very difficult, and expensive, and discouraging. And remember - every flight sim, HOTAS, and pedal combination in the world can't fully teach RC flight.

pps. if you do decide to purchase the 9104 I hope you'll post a review