>I'm thinking about buying a digital camera and am interested in other people's recommendations. I want to stay in the mid-range ($200-$300) so I figured a 3 megapixel camera is probably what I'll end up with.
>
>If you have any strong opinions towards a specific camera or features I should have ... or strong opinions against a particular camera or feature ... please chime in!!

[Ding!]

You've gotten lotsa great suggestions already.
Consider the 'feel' of the camera, i.e. imagine taking pix with a bar of soap. Others have more body to hang on to. Will your nose push a button while you're framing the shot?
Yes, optical zoom is very preferred over digital zoom!
AA batteries (not special/propritary)! NiMh rechargeable is preferred, but you can usually find alkalines in a pinch when you're stuck in a non-rechargeable situation (Disneyworld, Main Street, Parade in 5 minutes)

I've had good experience with a Fuji that I got 2 years ago. Same price and half the features of this one:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilms5000/

HTH,