After 3 months of research before chosing a digital camera I chose an
HP 735 3.2 Megapixel Digital Camera with 15x zoom. Easy to use, easier to download, and priced right at $179 from
www.hp.com. What I liked most about it was it's ease of operation. This was important because my wife, who is not savvy when it comes taking and downloading pics, was going to use it more than I. After the first hour she had taken pics, downloaded them, and printed out some very nice digital prints. The camera has a bundle of photo-enhancing features that are easy to use and make for some great pics. One thing of importance to me though is the type of memory card used by the camera. HP cameras can use SD Memory
or Multi-Media Memory cards. A majority of companies are switching to Secure Digital Memory (the small blue cards). Fuji is a specialized card, Canon uses Compact Flash (though I see they are starting to use SD as well), Sony uses the Memory Stick. These are more expensive as you go up in megabytes, Sony beint the most expensive followed by CF, and then Fuji's xD memory. By using a card that is standardized you eliminate the need to buy different cards in the event you upgrade to a new camera down the line. SD memory is being used by companies that manufacture PDAs as well. This is good because you can use the same card for 2-3 different devices without spending tons of cash of 3 types of cards. For less money you can purchase Lexar SD cards instead of the more expensive Secure Digital SD cards. In any event make sure that you chose a camera you feel you are comfortable using. Ask for a demo from the salesperson. Most
are pretty knowledgeable but some have no clue. Read up on your choice beforehand and weigh the pros and cons before you make your decision.
Edit to add: Follow this link to learn about the different types of memory available.
http://www.pcphotoreview.com/memoryguidecrx.aspx#sd
Look at 
