Canon PowerShot SD790 IS - Design
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As mentioned, Canon took a new track when designing the PowerShot SD790. The modern trend has been to soften edges and make everything look more curvy and "liquid." Canon has more or less thrown this notion out the door and put its digital camera technology into a relatively simple box. The front face has some subtleties that will intrigue you, and overall you will likely be pleasantly surprised when you see the SD790 for the first time. It is a refreshing change from the norm and was quite well designed.
The body of the SD790 is quite small and easily fits into the "compact" category. It weighs in at 6.3 ounces and measures 2.2" x 3.6" x 0.8". Though it is certainly not the smallest camera that has ever been developed, that just means that you can comfortably keep it in your jeans pocket without worrying about it getting broken by brushing into a wall or falling through a hole in your pocket.
According toCNet, the control layout of the PowerShot SD790 IS is fairly standard, with all of the buttons in the places where you would expect them. Canon has put all of the buttons flush with the surface of the camera so that they fit in better with the "simple box" design of the body. When pressed, the buttons do not respond very much, and the overall feel is that Canon is using the same technologies that have become popular in many modern cell phones.
PC Magazinesays that the scroll wheel navigator on the SD790 performs differently from previous models developed by Canon. Past scroll wheels followed in the footsteps of the iPod by having a static wheel which was touch-sensitive to rotations. The new wheel on the SD790 physically turns as you rotate it, allowing for much greater responsiveness and control. Although this does take some getting used to if you are familiar with the iPod style wheel, I believe that it is more intuitive for anyone who does not have extensive experience with either style of wheel.
The only real issue with the design of the SD790 is that the thumb rest is not comfortable, given the natural position of your thumb. Your thumb will likely end up between two of the control buttons, but there is fortunately a divider between them which provides a convenient perch.
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