By the way, I
recommend you avoid any camera with proprietary batteries or cameras
that do not have optical zoom.

Sadly, many of the better cameras now use proprietary batteries. The upside is
they are often excellent. My new Pentax Optio S5I takes more pics than it's 512
MB card can hold (150 shots) on a single charge. My Nikon 8800 seems to have
endless battery life.
I agree 100% on the zoom. Very important on lower MP cameras where too much
cropping ruins the show. Learning proper composition will save a lot of
aggravation as well.

RB