Canon vs Nikon

After going shooting with Ricky and his Canon 30D in Central Park, I am torn in my decision of usability, brand, and gadget philosophy. My goal is to figure out and decide which brand (Canon or Nikon) is most like Apple and which I can put my trust in. I have found good reasons for why Canon is more like Apple, but as I continue to think, I have also found good reasons for why Nikon is more like Apple. I guess figuring out the more Apple-esque brand is just my way of rationalizing my intuition's decision.

Basically, I have gotten too used to the functionality of my Nikon D40, and when I tried holding and shooting with the Canon 30D, it was extremely awkward to use, and doing the most rudimentary operations seemed to take additional steps than on the D40. This might be a simple thing of getting used to, but I am unsure.

I am surprised to find myself lean toward Nikon's system of doing things now.

[C]: Very pretty and has a huge amount of support from many Canon DSLR-using friends.

[N]: More exterior buttons and less pretty, but it is extremely usable. It has a smaller market share than that of Canon. (But then again, so does Apple.) Nikon users, I find, are more "weird" than Canon users. (But then again, so was Apple back in the day.) Nikon focuses primarily on optics and cameras, while Canon does printers, scanners, calculators, etc. (Apple was always a computer-focused company, though it has just recently expanded to music and phones.)

My Case for a G9

I really, really, really want a Canon Powershot G9. (12.1 MP, 6x zoom, 35-210 mm, ISO 1600, 3" screen, RAW)

Because of its cost and features, people typically say that if I were to get a DSLR, I should not get another point and shoot camera and save the money for a better lens. I find this especially true, especially when I need the money for anything for photography in the first place (i.e. DSLR).

I am not comparing a purchase between a DSLR and the Canon Powershot G9. I am quite certain I will want a DSLR when funds come my way. But I am in need of a portable camera that I may carry with me all the time. My Sony DSC-N1 is getting more and more inadequate. It never was, actually. Thinking back now, it is not a great camera, but it was very innovative at the time. It lacks the image stabilization that a lot of current models have, and its ISO setting maxes out at a mere 800. It gets grainy even in sunlight. And it is at best a camera built for snapshots. All this is made especially worse since now there are blemishes on the inner part of the lens or sensor and the 3" screen (by virtue of a touch-screen) is sadly scratched, and it hard to view through my photos.

The Canon G9 is no where near being a compact camera, though. It is about 1.6" thick, so it does not fit in the pocket well enough. But I am willing to carry it over the DSLR on an every-day, casual basis. I've read reviews that a few camera review sites had up, and one notably said that while most point and shoots makes snapshots, the G9 is able to create real photos. (Of course, it being a little camera, it does not compare to the sharpness that is achievable by a DSLR with a good lens.) It offers full manual controls without the need of menus. It has a lot of the functionality and range of usability without needing to haul a variety of lenses. It is a monster, and it is the professional's little camera of choice.

What should I do now?

I have printed out a full page image of the camera in question. And it is posted on my wall. I will stare at it until I get money to get one or get sick of it (whichever comes first).