Have a look in
www.dpreview.net Best Digital Photography site I have found, especially the reviews and forums.
An additional thought. If your friend is keen enough to be spending the time to learn and use PS Elements, she will very quickly become aware of the limitations of the simpler cameras. EG digital zoom, it really does not compare with good optics and most reviewers disregard it as worthwhile. Perhaps you could find good value in some of the models that have been superceded by the latest whizbang put out for marketing reasons in the megapixel horsepower races.
Again try the reviews in DPReview, they go back a fair bit. Good luck.