The powershots do look good, but I know what the other half is like and unfortunately, I think the size of the camera is very important to her. I will take her into Jessops to get a feel for whether she would be happy with a slightly larger compact (I would be!) but suspect it will be between the IXUS and Cybershot.
If I could convince her to go for a slightly larger one - do you think the A650AS would be worth getting?
It's a shame most manufacturers appear to have done away with viewfinders!