I see so many printers, cameras and odd bits of computer technology that many just whiz past. But I have been charmed.
Everyone I showed the Kodak DC260 wanted to pick it up, something that does not always happen with digital cameras. But the comment it seemed to draw most often was 'ugly'.
It may not be the prettiest design, but the DC260 is by far the most practical. It marks something of a coming of age for digital cameras, because it has the first chassis not modelled on a conventional camera.
For one, the viewfinder is mounted in the upper left corner of the body, directly over the lens. This may not seem important, but digital cameras are rather notorious for having viewfinders that do not show exactly what the camera is shooting.
Another pet peeve eliminated by the DC260's design is greasy LCD syndrome. The LCDs on most other cameras can be hard to see in bright sunlight - often they have a nose print in the middle.
Kodak's viewfinder placement puts your nose to the side of the camera, eliminating nose-LCD interface.
The built-in software in the Kodak DC260 is slick and its simple white-on-blue menus will impress. It has colour graphics and sound effects played through a built-in speaker, with a range of settings for shooting and playback. Settings can be selected through a very well-designed button on the back.