General Imaging starts shipping new touch-panel GE E1250TW

General Imaging, the licensee of GE branded cameras, began shipment of its GE E1250TW today, after debuting on Home Shopping Network last week. What's so special about this camera? The 3.0-inch LCD touch-screen allows for swiping, rotation and zoom, among other features. However, even though there's the ease of the large screen, it lacks an optical viewfinder. For many photographers, this isn't a problem, and I suppose on a point-and-shoot, it's not absolutely necessary. I still like having one, though.

It also comes with Pan-Capture Panorama, which allows the user to capture scenic-wide images such as baseball games, landscapes, etc. in one shot. Retailing at $199, other features include 12.2-megapixel resolution, 5x optical zoom, and is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery.

Touch-screens are growing in popularity when it comes to camera and cell phone designs these days. Would you buy this camera just for its touch-panel amenities? Is this the direction point-and-shoot designers are taking?