are all low end digital cameras like this?

[Steve Kane]

My first digital camera: I brought a Canon PowerShot A60 home from the 
store Saturday. Tried to set it to fill flash always on--couldn't do 
it. Called Canon, they said it couldn't be done. Called the store where 
I bought it. Luckilly I bought it from a salesman who had recently 
spoken quite knowledgeably about digital cameras at the local Apple 
Users Group. He told me how to set it to fill flash always on, but it 
requires the whole camera be taken off auto and set to program; then I 
have to make sure all the other settings match the auto settings since 
I want basic auto except for the flash fill.

In doing all this I notice that a bit of an accidental tap on the 
buttons, especially those 4 buttons in a circle on the back of the 
camera, can change the settings and there does not seem to be a way of 
_locking_ the settings or locking out the buttons.

I'm thinking of bring the A60 back to the store and looking at other 
models in the same price range of about $250, maybe the Nikon Coolpix 
2100.

I used the Nikon F, F2, F3, and n90, as well as 120 and 4x5 during 15 
years of professional photography (I've been out of the business about 
10 years now). I've made every mistake a photographer can make but I've 
never had a camera that could be so easily inadvertently mis-set as 
this A60, but then this is my first digital camera. Are they all like 
this at this price?

Your feedback would be most appreciated. I have only a couple of days 
to decide to return or exchange this Canon. Thanks.