Excellent choice.
I got one of these a few months ago and love it! It takes great pictures and is really easy to use. I have done a lot of photography and my own processing so I'm used to using all the bells and whistles and have boxes full of various camera gear in several different formats. As far as I'm concerned, this has replaced it all, and it weighs less than 1/2 pound!
The bundled Kodak EasyShare program is not the greatest although it can do some basic things and is adequate. Part of the problem is my computer doesn't seem to like it very much and only grumpily runs it. I am running Windows ME, so that may be part of the problem. I download my pictures from the camera to the Kodak program but then use MGI PhotoSuite to do much of my editing work, which works out well for me. However, you may be happy with the Kodak program. In any event, the MGI program is not expensive and depending on your computer, you may want to get the "platinum" version which does a lot.
I've taken a lot of great pictures with this camera already. It is extremely easy to use and is basically a point-and-shoot. It does a nice job at that and any refinements can be done within the computer program after you download. My wife is intimidated taking pictures but loves to use this camera as it is so easy to use.
I got two 256mb SD cards on sale to go with the camera as it's standard memory is totally inadequate - as is the case with all the digital cameras. The SD cards are much cheaper than the XD cards some other cameras use. The extra cards, along with some rechargeable batteries and a carrying case is all you will ever need for some great photos indoors and out. I do find the flash is sometimes inconsistent for some indoor shots but the computer program can easily correct this.
I would have preferred a 5 or 6 MP camera and a 4x zoom, but was on a tight budget for this camera so compromised for price. However, even with quite a bit of cropping it still does a marvelous job on detail. I almost always shoot at max megapixels as there is plenty of memory using the SD card.
I have taken hundreds of pictures and almost every one has turned out as I took it. This is a great camera and I'm very pleased! I also did extensive research comparing other digital cameras and IMHO the CX7430 is the best one for the price.
I think you'll be pleased with your choice.
Thanks for the info. I have a few SD cards already from my other camera. I also have MGI Photosuite as well as Arcsoft PhotoImpression, PaintShop Pro, and Adobe Photodelux. Haven't really used any of them much so this will give me a chance to experiment. I also have a 5-1 card reader to download off the SD card to minimize battery usage. Supposed to come in today, right in time for Christmas...hope so. I must admit that the 10x optical zoom on the other was tempting but no more pictures than I take, the 3x will probably be plenty.