Yeah, I'm with you on the Nikon P&S, though I don't have personal experience with them I have heard enough stories that I've avoided them. Maybe Al will weigh in? My ancient Olympus waterproof P&S needs to be replaced at some point, so I'm glad you're sharing your experiences.
Other cameras are Nikon. My D200 is getting a little long in the tooth and I need to send it in for some cleanup and repair. The dials are very sticky, and the auto focus button doesn't engage anymore. Just got my flash back from them for repairs and that wasn't cheap, but cheaper than an equivalent new or even a decent used one, so I'm not grumbling too much. I'm not using it enough to justify an upgrade, but the new ones with ultra high ISO and video capabilities are sure sweet sounding. If I had younger kids I'd be all over one of those.