SX210IS vs. SX20 IS

[ReCKLeSs_X]

Hey all, I'm looking to get into photography and have narrowed my choices down to these two cameras. From my basic understanding they are powered by the very same technology but are in two different forms. I understand that one has 20x zoom with the other only 14x, but other than the physical size, is there any other noticeable differences that will help me make up my mind?
I'm looking to basically delve right into the manual settings and fool around with things like shutter speed and ISO for controlled motion in my photos.

Now this question would have been silly a few years back when the two types of cameras were more well-defined, but I feel like the lines have blurred very much.

I am looking to get the best quality pictures. I actually had my mind set on the SX20 IS for a while but then I started reading about the SX210IS. Obviously if I am not losing much functionality I would much prefer the compactness.

Thanks for your time!

[Rocket_Scientist]

I have the Canon SX10 IS, and a friend of mine has the SX20 IS. I looked at the Canon site
for the SX210 IS, which appears to be the update to the SX110 IS, which I considered in
the past. I believe you would find the SX20 a more serious camera. Not that the SX210 is
bad, but the drawbacks I find are (1) it has no viewfinder, and (2) it uses a lithium battery.
You may find it hard to use only the LCD screen when taking outdoor shots, and, while
lithium batteries may have the upside, I find it more convenient to be able to grab some
AA's should my rechargeables run down. Of course, some people simply prefer the
smaller size camera and that overshadows the rest. Anyway, that's my two cents...