I'm thinking about getting a new digital camera (my 2 dollar, 0.3 megapixel one just doesnt cut it

)
I'm thinking I probably want to spend about $150-200 (maybe more). Something thats about 4-5 megapixels.
Basically I'm wondering what are some reputable brands, ones that come with decent software (sony can lick my balls).
For most of the time I'm using it a point and shoot would be useful (just taking pics with friends etc, quick snapshots, so one that can take a couple shots quickly would be a bonus), though an SLR would be nice, are there any SLR's on the market that you can set to auto focus etc if you decide to get lazy? I dont need a super fancy one with insane lenses or anything like that.
I dont need a huge screen or anything (I'd rather have better battery life, (alot of the time I just keep the lcd turned off anyways).
I'm just starting to look now, but any sort of advice and direction would be much appreciated.