In the case of easy transfer to a computer here are a few things to think about
Typically the DV or HDV camcorders use firewire for transfer, and in my experience this works well especially if you are using a USB external drive on the PC. For
ease of moving files around and video editing there is a lot to be said about having the files/project on an external drive
A number of the non tape solutions are based on AVCHD, and use USB to transfer the files to the computer. A case could be made that performing the transfer and the drive access over USB might have a performance hit.
I would NOT recommend going with one of the mini DVD based camcorders, as from my experience the quality is not that great, BUT a case can be made that the ability to
play the recording in a dvd player is an advantage.
I also would say that what folks say they "only need it for" is usually more a
reflection of what they are thinking of AT THE MOMENT and rarely what they are likely to use it for in the future.
when I last looked at the various options my recommendation was the
Canon VIXIA HV40. We have used a variety of these and the earlier HV20/30 and have been quite happy. The main short coming might be the 10x optical
zoom but other than that for the price (700 or so)
IMO it is a good compromise
Anyway just a suggestion
Sharyn