Flash Memory vs Hard Drive

Question

Ok, I am trying to purchase a camcorder for a gift.  It's primary purpose will to be recording children's activities.  I went to Best Buy today looking at the panasonic sdr h80k which has a hard drive.  The sales associate suggested that I may want to consider a flash drive model instead, maybe the CanonFS200.  He suggested this because he said if you drop your HDD then your videos are stuck in the camcorder.
Opinions??  Also, I would love opinions on camcorders - no expensive HDs.  We have no HD units.
Thanks

Answer 1

BTW, it can get confusing in the arena of camcorders when you say "HD", since some manufacturers use it to mean "hard drive" and others mean "high definition".
It sounds like you are talking about a high definition flash memory camcorder?
I don't know much about Sony high def camcorders, I tend to avoid Sony due to their NIH (Not Invented Here) syndrome - they're notorious for starting format wars and using proprietary memory only usable in Sony devices (like Memory Stick), while nearly everyone else uses standard memory types like Compact Flash or SD/SDHC.
The Canon HF100 is an incredibly well regarded high definition flash camcorder.  The Panasonic SD9 is also well regarded, for me the choice between the two was tough (I can't remember what made me go with the HF100 over the SD9 in the end.)
Define "not newer" as far as your computer?  What processor does it have and how much memory?
It will most likely not be able to play the video from the camcorder directly, that requires a relatively new PC or at least a new video card (GeForce 8000 series or higher for NVidia, ??? for ATi).  Of the 5-6 machines in my house, only my newest one can play back 1080p AVCHD video (the format the camcorders save in) smoothly.
That said, what you can do (and what I do) is archive the original source footage (the 1080p HD stuff), and convert each clip to a lower resolution (easier to play back and edit) and work with the low resolution clips.
As an example, I took about 10 3-5 minute clips of a friend's rock concert last Friday.  I made a backup of the original clips, then used Handbrake (http://www.handbrake.fr/ I think, if that doesn't work Google it) to convert each clip to a 480p clip and worked with those for editing and such.  On my machine the conversion process tool 1.5-2 minutes per minute of video, on an older machine it will take longer, but keep in mind that once you've gotten the conversion settings you want, conversion is a "fire and forget" process - batch up the clips for conversion, start the conversion, and go to bed.  Wake up the next morning and it's done. 
*disclaimer* I am not now, nor have I ever been, an employee of Best Buy, Geek Squad, nor of any of their affiliate, parent, or subsidiary companies.