I purchased this camera because it was able to fit in my shirt pocket and starts up very quickly.  I carry the SD1000 around for quick/easy access photos when I'm not lugging around my digital SLR.  Another positive aspect of using this camera is the large screen that quickly displays the photos.  One final feature worth mentioning is the SD1000 captures pretty good quality video.  One thing that I found challenging is the battery life - I ended up picking up a spare battery and discovered that sticking with the Canon brand yields a longer lasting battery.