The camera takes excellent pictures and is pretty rugged
How was the camera?
I have had this camera for over a year.  I upgraded from an SD400, SD500 to the SD1000.  The camera takes excellent pictures and is pretty rugged.  I take it both hiking and scuba diving (have the case).  It is easy to use.  Like all items, I recommend reading the manual.  Yes, I said read the book!  The camera is lightweight and requires a steady hand.  The biggest mistake I made with the camera is snapping the picture and moving the camera right after it.  Give it a second to record the image.  It is pretty fast, but if you are use to a film camera, you will end up blurring some of the pictures.  I plan to get another one just to have as a spare.  It's that good. 