We bought this because we felt our 10-year-old HP digital camera was just a bit too old. The fact that we'd had them so long tells you something about HP build quality and technology - so far I'm hopeful that this one (which we've had about 6 months) will be equally durable.
The camera is fairly intuitive to use, and the controls are easy to manage for people with slim fingers, though in some cases quite small. The very large-fingered might find the buttons at the top, which are flush with the camera, difficult to manage.
The camera works to some extent with basic Windows software (I have Win XP), but there are some glitches that make it difficult to download large numbers of pictures at the same time, and impossible to download the short video clips. The camera comes with software of course - this is only an issue if, like me, you are the sort who tries to get things up and running right out of the box.
The picture quality is excellent, and the zoom works well. The screen on the back is very large (taking up almost the whole back of the camera), allowing you to get a reasonable idea of the finished picture quality. The light adjustment / flash is very reliable.
Ours arrived with the wrong camera guide (not in English), though it had the right camera dock guide, and of course the software with the manual.
The camera includes most of what you will need, apart from extra memory, and a camera case. The lack of a case annoys me - surely they could supply a simple sleeve to keep the camera safe until I had time to buy a decent case?
On the other hand, my impatience to use it has meant that the camera has gone into various handbags, satchels etc, with no harm done to it - so it has given it a chance to prove its robustness.
My only gripe with this camera is the shutter speed. Our main reason for replacing our old camera was the slow shutter speed, and while this one is a good deal quicker, it's still too slow for candid photos. We like taking pictures of our kids, but those cute expressions are too fleeting for this camera. That is the one reason that I would guess we will replace this camera before we've had it 10 years again - otherwise it's the business.