Before our trip in April, I am planning on getting a new P/S camera. Right now I have a Sony and I'm pretty loyal to Sony Cybershots, but is there something better? My planned P/S/ budget is $150 or under......
Most P&S cameras are fairly equal - they all do a basic job, and all manufacturers have their cheaper models and their more expensive models and their more designer fancy models. Brand isn't really as important as picking your budget and getting the features you want.
You mention having a 'Cybershot'...but remember there are actually several HUNDRED different Cybershot models made! So WHICH Cybershot you have, and which to look at, is important...they are all extremely different. Same goes for Canon (Powershot is the model line, hundreds of Powershot models are made), Nikon (Coolpix is the model line, hundreds of Coolpix models to choose from), Panasonic (Lumix), etc. They all have a name for their P&S line, and all have many different models under that banner.
For your budget, honestly you aren't going to get the best camera from any manufacturer - $150 or under gets you a basic entry model, no fancy features, no fancy designs. They'll do the job, not much more. Step up to the $200-250 range, and you can start moving into step-up models from several manufacturers, that can offer better low light features, faster frame rates, bigger lens ranges, etc.
At $150ish, there won't be much of a difference between Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Fuji, Olympus, Nikon, etc. They'll all give you a basic camera using a similar sensor and similar features. So if you like a design, get a good price, or have good experience with one of the brands, go with that. In many cases, the P&S cameras are using the same sensor - Sony makes the compact camera sensors for about 90% of the market, including cameras sold by Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Samsung, Sony, and others. Panasonic tends to make their own sensors, and both Canon and Fuji have a few cameras with sensors they made themselves...but usually their higher end offerings (Canon makes their own DSLR sensors, but tends to just go with Sony sensors for their P&S models).
