Which brands make digital cameras?

The answer depends on what's important to you. Image quality? Ease of use? Size? Versatility? Telephoto range? Macro ability? Low light performance? Learning about Photography? Hi-def Video capture? Cost?

If you're looking to get into photography as a serious hobby, the best all-around point and shoot in terms of features, image quality, and growth potential is (in my professional opinion) the Canon G10. I know quite a few other professional photographers who use the G10 (or it's predecessor the G9) as their "go everywhere" camera for when they don't want or need a full SLR rig. The Nikon P6000 is it's main competitor.

The disadvantage of either of these are price and size -- they're bigger and more expensive than most consumer point & shoot models.