Sony repairs these and even pays for the shipping

I turned my camera on today and the image was distorted and unrecognizable; the camera was broken as others have described here. I went to the Sony web site, filled out a form, and Sony is fixing the camera for free, including the shipping both ways. Go to www.sony.com, select "Service & Support", then "Product Support", then "News & Alerts". Enter DSC-F717 in "Option 1" and click the arrow. Click the link to the Product Alert dated 03/21/2006, "Important Notice About Your Sony Product". Read the description and view the sample images of the defect. If the problem applies to you click the "Yes" button at the bottom of the screen and fill out the form. I'm buying a new small digital camera today for $100 AND I'm getting the DSC-F717 fixed for free!