Mid-range digicam?

[Gavstar]

I'm off to Australia via Singapore this weekend and have decided the holiday is going to be too special to not capture on video. So I will be looking to buy a video camera from Singapore airport as I hear they are half price over there.
I am armed with a copy of "What Digital Camcorder", and am swatting up on the basics, but is there anything I should be aware of.
What camcorders would you people recommend? I have been advised to stick to Sony or Canon. I want something small, with good PC connectivity for when I decide to get a bit creative on the editing, but most importantly, good picture quality. How about CCD quality? Whats the minimum to get decent pictures? Lastly, I assume MiniDV is the format to go for?

[pdV6]

Make sure you get one with PAL output if you want to run it through your telly back home. Might not be possible in Singapore, though.

[Ffirg 005]

If you think it might do some in-car video work one day then analog input (for bullet cam), wired remote control and microphone input would be useful.