for point and shoot. i see good things about the Pentax Optio A40.
i personally like semi-manual 'bridge' cameras like the canon g series
as far as dslrs go.. they sexy.
if you know your iso from your f-stop and have the money for a dslr and a few lenses/filters... go for it.
if you are just going to work handheld taking snaps, use auto modes and only intend to buy a single lens. maybe it's a bit over the top getting a dslr... but at least you wont be able to blame your tools if the pics turn out poo.