if you wanna buy Canon, IXUS V3 is a model you can consider. $680 2 months ago, Sim Lim price.

nice design and good features:

with 3.2 M pixel, 2 * Optical Zoom, up to 6.4 digi zoom, can use both auto and manual mode, adjust shuttle speed, ISO, white balance...

exceeding your budget, anyway, why not buy a good one~~~