I bought a Coolpix 2500 over a year ago and I've been really pleased with it.
Durability
It's taken a lot of beatings since I usually just carry it around in my pocket just in case photo opportunities arise and I've put it through quite a bit of abuse and it's still going fine.
Photo Quality
At 1600x1200 pixels the image quality is great, even for print. I've had a few printouts of some beautiful sunsets that came out gorgeous on photo paper. Also, well shot images have been crisp and once you get the hang of the settings, you'll be able to get some good pictures.
Bad Points
I really only have two issues with the Coolpix. The first is the fact that it does not capture low-light very well. I am referring specifically to situations where you want to capture the natural light and don't use the flash, but that's a limitation of most cameras and I guess you'll have to go true professional level to get around this.
The second issue deals with the shutter speed, but is related to low-light conditions. In most well lit shots, the shutter speed is bang on and you'll get very little blurring. However, when shooting under indoor lighting or overcast skies, the shutter stays open longer due to the lack of light and pictures come out very blurry. I've also notice that you may get blurriness due to camera shake even in good light, but this is only if you're taking a picture while running (which I did ) or other some such exaggerated movement.
The only way I've found to get around this is to improve the lighting conditions somehow or to place the camera on a flat surface and tell the subject not to move for two seconds.
Also, for any situation where there may be blurriness, I set the camera to take multiple shots and just hold the shutter button down while it takes 5 or 6 pictures in succession. This way I have a better chance of getting a good shot without any blurriness. I always set this option and I've never taken it off.
Another trick I've found is to focus on a bright object such as a light so that the camera automatically shifts to a faster shutter speed, and take the picture before it readjusts to the low light scene.
Good Points
Basically, everything else. I am really pleased with the camera itself, and it functions very well in every situation I've used it.
Oh, and I bloody love the swiveling lens, especially the way you can take a picture of yourself.
All in all, it's a damn good camera and what it lacks in professional performance it more than makes up for in versatility, durability, and quality.