I'd try removing the battery waiting a few minutes and putting it back in. Also make sure you have the memory card in properly. Turn it on and see if it works. If not, then I'd consider taking it back as it may be defective.

There isn't an option to adjust shutter speed on this camera, I don't believe -- low-end point-and-shoots like this are mostly automatic. You could kind of fake it by dropping the ISO levels down so that the camera will be forced to keep the shutter open longer, but I don't know if this camera is smart enough to quite pull that off. "Night" modes also keep the shutter open longer. But for real shutter speed adjustment, you need a camera with manual modes.

Shutter delay is a way of life in digital cameras. It's a common problem with point and shoot cameras. But there are ways to combat it.

1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.

2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.

3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.

4. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.

6. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.

Doing these, particularly prefocusing and panning with the action will cut your shutter lag by as much as 80%.