so i ended up ordering the sd1000, i checked out all of your suggestions and there were some slightly better cameras out there, but the dimensions of this one was the kicker for me. it's really small, and still is a good camera. I got a combo deal on newegg where they threw in an 1 gig SD card, travel case, and other stuff. and i also got a high speed 2 gig sd card. I'll let you know how it goes.
take some pics and post 'em!
so i got my canon digital elph sd1000, i love it! very small and compact, big view screen, sharp pictures, very fast speed. Its great!! i got a 1gig card with it for free, but i also ordered a high speed 2 gig card and a better battery, which is nice because now i have an extra memory card and battery. I'll post some pics soon