Leaving the Stone Age, One Step at a Time

I've never owned a digital camera. All my friends have cameras, so it's not like there's a shortage of pictures of me on Facebook, but I'm starting to think that maybe it's time. I'm conflicted because I really like relying on electronics as little as possible (which still means I rely on them a lot). Evidence: I waited until 2008 to upgrade my computer from this guy:


Some stuff just seems unnecessary to me, and the fact that I've made it this far without needing a camera (and don't truly need one now, as evidenced by all those Facebook photos) means that I still need convincing. But once I hem and haw and vet and decide I will take the plunge and acquire a new gadget, I usually love it. You'll have to pry my MacBook from my cold, dead hands.

And one nice thing about the Internet is that it's full of people with opinions on things. So, Internet friends, it's time for you to go pretend shopping with money that isn't yours: I'm giving you 200 imaginary dollars to buy a compact digital camera of decent quality and range of function. Which camera(s) would you buy, and why should I take the plunge and buy one?