When I was looking into buying a digital camera ( My first one also ) I spent hours on stevesdigicam. While it was a great resource, I dont think that the info was enough for me to just go out and buy a camera without having atleast held it in my hands first.. so after playing with the 5-6 cameras I was thinking about I finally found the one I liked and bought it. Since then (~5 months ago) Ive taken over 800 pictures on it and I love it. It had everything I wanted because I had reserched it and I had gotten it at a decent price by shopping around. Dont just settle for something - research it and make sure youre getting exactly what you want.
*And if youre looking at ultra portables dont over-look casio.
Id be more than happy to send you pics Ive taken from recent trips on my little z50 to prove it worth your time.