[1] The Fuji 'F' series cameras are very responsive in terms of turn-on-ready, focus, and shot-to-shot speed. And up until the F50 they had absolutely incredible high ISO performance [the F50 is only so-so].

If you can find a good used F30 or F31 for under $300 [they have become cult cameras for their quality] then I would buy one.

[2] Nikon Coolpix models have great macro capabilities, great exposure, and produce a really pleasing image quality straight out of the camera [though most Coolpix's can be a little soft and need some sharpening in-camera or software to look their best].

[3] Canon's P/S digicams tend to not do anything really great IMHO but do most things well on average so they have really good over-all image quality.

There are so many P/S digicams out there, and they change models so often that it is hard to recommend anything for more than a couple of months - good luck.