Lights, Camera, Action!

Well, just camera really.

Hi there. I'm hoping you can help me. Laura (my far better half) and I are considering upgrading from our camera (Fujifilm Finepics E550), with which we have been very happy, to something which has a little more bang for the buck. We're looking for something which has a faster recovery time (between click to click again) and a more accurate and sensitive auto-focus. We're still considering sticking with the point and shoot variety, but would not be adverse to considering a digital SLR, if we could find one (which doesn't suck) within our price range. We're aiming for somewhere between $400.00 & $800.00. Ease of use is a big factor, also.

Any suggestions?

Pax,
Nelson