Snowboarding or skiing?

I'm planning to learn either snowboarding or skiing and would like a little
advice from enthusiasts about which sport to choose. I'm 42 and have no
previous experience with snow sports. Also, I have no experience surfing or
skateboarding. I can ride a bike, of course, and I learned to ice skate at
age 36 and now enjoy skating quite a bit. I'm interested in taking up
boarding or skiing because (1) they look like a lot of fun, (2) I could use
more exercise in the winter, and (3) I love the mountains. (We were in
Breckenridge this summer and it occurred to me that it would be nice to
visit the place in the winter someday.) I live in Pittsburgh, so there are
no high peaks nearby, but there are a good number of decent (I suppose) ski
resorts within a short drive, the most famous probably being Seven Springs.

The person with whom I would be learning is my 14-year-old son. He is
vaguely interested but has not expressed a strong preference either way. My
wife probably won't take up either sport, though she'll probably enjoy trips
to ski lodges. I do not know anyone who snowboards. My younger brother took
up skiing in his mid-30s and seems to like it. My brother-in-law has been
skiing since his youth and is pretty good at it, I believe.

Nevertheless, I'm leaning toward snowboarding (freeride, not freestyle), for
a couple of reasons. First, it seems like a cleaner, simpler way of getting
down a mountain. No chance of legs going in opposite directions. No poles to
buy and no pole technique to worry about. Second, from what I've read it
appears that snowboarding, though perhaps a little tougher to get the hang
of in the very beginning stages, is ultimately easier to become good at.
Third, there's just something about it that appeals to me -- maybe the sense
of doing something "different."

So, here are a few questions. Thanks very much in advance for any answers or
suggestions you may have.
1. Am I correct about the learning curves of boarding vs. skiing? If not,
what's the reality?
2. If you both ski and ride, which do you prefer, and why? If you ride but
don't ski, do you have any sense that you're missing out on an important
part of the winter mountain experience?
3. I understand that virtually all ski resorts now welcome snowboarders as
well. But are there any "skiers only" trails or slopes?
4. If I took up snowboarding and persevered long enough to become a decent
rider, would I be able to hit the slopes with the brother and/or
brother-in-law (I mean the ones within my capabilities)? Or is there
something awkward about going snowboarding with skiers? Does one get "left
in the dust," so to speak?

By the way, I posted my inquiry here rather than in rec.skiing.alpine
because, contrary to the old stereotype about boarders being uncouth, this
group seems like a friendly, helpful forum, whereas r.s.a. (at least the
unmoderated version) is bedeviled by brutal flame wars.

Thanks again,

Joe Ramirez