My first was a Cannon SD430 and took great pics. Easy to use, etc. You can't go wrong with a Cannon. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of a battery indicator. I am not sure if they have since fixed that complaint, but that was the one major one everyone had with the Cannon's. All in all, not a bad camera.
I upgraded to an Olympus Stylus 790 (waterproof, shockproof) so I can take it anywhere. Also easy to use, takes good pics and are dirt cheap now as they have the higher end versions as their mainstream. Plenty of deals out there to be had.