T.M.
A lot of people will tell you that the higher (mega) pixel count the better the pictures. I'm a pro photographer, and can tell you that's not really so. I have several cameras, and one of them is a 4 MP that will blow the doors off most 8+ MP ones out there.
www.dpreview.com has reviews for most of the latest cameras out there, but the only way to really tell if you like it is to try it. Buy one at a place with a liberal return policy (like Costco) and try it for a week or so in a variety of conditions. That way, you can always exchange it.