Stupid lens question... (are these 2 the same lens?)

No, they aren't the same. Enlarge the images on the two pages and look at the writing around the front elements of the lenses.

The lens on the 1000D says: CANON ZOOM LENS 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6
The lens on the 500D says: CANON ZOOM LENS 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS

Unfortunately for you, the newer IS version is a better lens. Here's a snippet from a review at The Digital Picture:

The Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II Lens has the same focal length range and is very similar physically - but lacks IS. Optically, it is not as sharp as the 18-55 IS. This difference is very noticeable wide open - especially in the corners. The differences become less noticeable at and beyond f/8, but the difference is still there. The non-IS 18-55 is very slightly more resistant to flare than the IS - which is still very good in this regard. CA is very similar in the two lenses. The non-IS has a little less vignetting at 18mm but slightly more at 24mm and 35mm. While the 18-55 non-IS is a decent value, the 18-55 IS is better optically and is a much more versatile lens - It is definitely worth the extra cost in my opinion.
 
Are you sure your's is the IS version, Matt? I thought the 1000D came with the non-IS as standard, but maybe you got lucky! :lol:
 
I believe that when the 1000D first came out, it was sold with the IS lens, but then Canon changed this, presumably to keep costs down.
 
I upgraded eventually from the none IS kit version to the IS kit lens and the difference is small but noticable...:)
 
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