I made a point of speaking with friends using point & shoot cameras this week, and was surprised at how many had just left the settings at the defaults of when the camera was unpacked. Some of them were shooting at seriously inferior quality.
So - for those of you in a similar position I strongly suggest: -
1 - Read the manual - and ALWAYS carry the manual with you when out with your camera (It's no use at home when you've got a problem).
2 - Set the ISO rating to 200 or less (less ISO = better image quality
***).
3 - Read the manual.
4 - Use the biggest memory card your camera will accept (No good buying an 8gig card if your camera will only read up to 4 gig.
5 - Read the manual.
6 - Set the best image quality that is available on your camera.
7 - Read the manual.
8 - Learn what affects different f stops & shutter speeds will have on your pic.
9 - Read the manual.
***Note - lower ISO will affect shutter speed for any given f stop, so, in case I haven't mentioned it before: -
10 - Read the manual - and until you know your camera inside out - take it with you.
You don't need to become a photography expert, but if you have a decent camera, it makes sense to be getting the best out of it.
Regards
Mike.