Of course, a digital camera is as much an electronic device as it is an optical capture device. It's a little silly to exclude any brand of camera because of what else they do or do not build...as each may have something to bring to the table.
Considering that a majority of all camera sensors in all brands of camera are made by Sony (that includes Canon and Nikon), and that a digital camera requires so much intricate electronics to capture a photo (especially P&S cameras that do not have mechanical shutters and flipping mirrors), and since the entire photo capturing process is digital, from sensor to processor to memory card, having 'camera' experience is actually far less useful than having 'electronics' experience. This is part of the reason some of the very first digital cameras were Sonys, and why they make so many sensors for other brands.
The only argument one might have for Canon and Nikon over Sony is that Sony has no lens-building experience, and good optical quality glass and lens design is crucial to good photography. But that argument is rendered moot since Sony went out and got lenses designed for their cameras from Carl Zeiss, and later bought Konica Minolta and inherited their lengthy and reputable lens building heritage.
It's also notable that many of the current features of P&S cameras were designed or introduced first by Sony...from LCD design to stabilization in body to flippable LCD panels to EVFs.
And as for the comment on Sony being 'slow' and Canon being fast...actually Sony has some of the fastest P&S cameras for focus, shutter delay, and processing lag - check any reviews at camera sites and you'll find they have some of the most accurate and fastest focus systems available in the P&S market.
So does that mean buy Sony? Not at all. Because unlike some folks, I don't limit my views to only brands I own or like the name of. I've owned and shot with fine cameras from Minolta, Canon, Sony, and Fuji. And I'd be open to other brands too. I buy based on handling and design, image quality and features, reviews and reputation, and price. I never exclude a brand because of their name, or because they make other products. Canon does indeed make fine cameras...they've got excellent camera heritage, a brilliant and huge collection of lenses for their DSLRs which cover the gamut from snapshooter to professional, and solid P&S models with some nice trickle-down technology from their DSLR market. Not everything they make is the best-of-the-best, but certainly some of the models they produce in the P&S and DSLR arena are at the top of the heap.
Same could be said for Sony, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, Pentax, and Fuji. They've all got some amazing cameras in their collection, and some not so special ones too. It's a matter of picking out the higher end cameras from each manufacturer, handling them yourself to decide how you like the build, handling, menus, and features, comparing image quality and reviews, and comparing prices. That way, you can select the best camera for you that you will enjoy shooting with and get great results from.
I happen to have very good experience with a few Sony models - my H5 was an excellent superzoom and profits I made from that camera paid for my current DSLR and 3 lenses...so if it didn't produce good images or was an inferior camera, those that purchased photos and national publications that bought prints from it didn't seem to notice. Nor did I, for that matter.
BTW - I think you'd do fine with either of the two cameras you named above - I think you should see if you like the way one feels in hand more than the other. And also take note that Sony has a new HX1 with some excellent additions and features over the current H model, and Canon's SX1 is an upgraded version of the SX10.
Honestly, you can't go too wrong with either of these - they're both going to be capable of taking very good photos. Good luck.
