I would direct your friend to one of the online review sites, like www.steves-digicams.com, www.imaging-resource.com, or www.dpreview.com. She should have an idea of what kinds of features are most desirable for her,and go from there. Keep in mind, too, that substantial savings *are* available by ordering online from a REPUTABLE online retailer. On the other hand, online retailers cannot offer the opportunity to "test drive" their cameras in-store like a brick and mortar retailer.
For a camera in the $200 price range the Canon A610 seems to be very popular (I just bought one myself last month). It gets excellent reviews and it has a swivel LCD screen which is rather unique.
You can buy it online from beachcamera.com or buydig.com for about $206 with free shipping. I bought mine from buydig but the two are actually sister companies (both are very reputable). Circuit City has it listed online for $230 - not sure what they're store price is.
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