Canon SD880i for just under three hundred.
Widest glass lens of the bunch with all controls on the back for one handed use.
Lens quality is superior to others in the series and that generally trumps mega pixel count.
Now, when you get ready for the SLR a Nikon 18-200 zoom on the D-90 is a real killer but we are talking major life purchase range for an outfit starting with that.
I got a D40 with the 18 - 55 and 55 - 200 lenses for $434 last February. I love the camera and I am able to take great pics with it. The D-90 is way out of my price range.