Storage: If you're going to be away from you're PC a lot, it's a good idea to get yourself plenty of memory. Remember to factor the price of extra cards into the cost of your purchase - expect to pay �20 for 512MB and �30 for 1GB.
Peripherals: Look for rechargeable batteries and the necessary charger. It's worth looking for USB connectivity so that you'll be able to download pictures quickly. Some companies produce cradles with built-in printing and sharing capabilities.
Zoom: An optical zoom of 3x magnification is standard in the sub -�175 chart; you might be able to find one that stretches to 4x or even more. The optical figure is the important one. Most cameras will bolster the zoom lens with some software interpolation, but digital zooms often render grainy images and are no substitute for good optical zooms.