The Wow Factor

I started out in the digital camera world with the Toshiba PDR 2300. I loved taking digital pictures but unfortunately due to the cameras rather large size I found myself forgetting to take it with me on many occasions. So the time came when I decided to go smaller. There are many cameras on the market so I spent a while shopping around, then one day I saw this camera in a store and fell in love with its size. I had yet to see another 3 mega pixel camera with a 3x optical zoom that was this small, the store guy even put it inside an altoids container to put things in context. A little put off by the price I turned to my best friend eBay and managed to find my new baby on eBay for way less than in the store.
What really surprised me was the amount of features that were crammed into this small little camera. Everything from different filters to panoramic mode even 3D. I also liked the ability to take 30 video clips with sound. I bought this camera solely to play around with so I like all the little features that can make your compositions unique. I used the time lapse feature to take clips of the clouds and the stars moving, my friends were very impressed. The TV out feature was nice for showing off my clips and pics to everyone else. 3x optical zoom is great for perfectly framing your pictures. Another nice feature which I haven't fully taken advantage of are the many pre-programmed photo settings such as low light, sun & snow,...They make adjusting the exposure settings a lot easier for amateurs like me who still want a little control over their pictures. But experts can make there own manual and adjustments if they want to.
I found the shutter lag on my old Toshiba to be very long but with my Optio s it is much better, almost as good as my film camera.
The battery life is really good I get a full day of shooting out of it, using the LCD display the entire time, (I rarely look through the small viewfinder). My only complaint is that the charger is a little cumbersome, I would like to see a more streamlined device that is more easily packable, maybe something that plugs directly into the wall without a cord.
Many reviews have noted the flimsy battery/memory door as a problem spot. I agree it is a little flimsy, but I have yet to have a problem with it. I talked to a friend of mine who works at a camera store and he said it is easily replaceable if necessary.
The buttons are a little small but what do you expect. The only buttons that I have problems with is the voice note button which is located on the advance button in playback mode, I have accidentally pressed it a few times.
The price is high, but seriously what do you expect, this is a premium camera with a premium price. If you are not buying it for its size then you could probably find another 3 mega pixel for less. My only complaint is that for a premium camera it should really come with a case, even my Toshiba camera came with one and it cost considerably less.