I have been a SLR, DSLR die-hard fan since 1998. These two classes have been my workhorse or hobby toy and I swear by their quality and system setup. However, as being a parent, holding a DLSR is a pain these past years. Instead of bringing my DSLR during my outings with my kids, I have to bring diaper bag, strollers etc. Compact cameras never never satisfied in terms of AF speed, depth of field control and many others. However, my Canon G10 do give me good results when used properly (understanding it's limit).
Finally when Olympus marketed their EP-1 (micro4/3) system, I started to get excited. It's a camera in between a highend compact and a DSLR. Its size is a winner and able to change lens is a wonder. The most important, it's sensor size (1/2 of 35mm film) is larger than a compact thus the depth of field is much shallower (meaning to create blur background is easier).

However due to personal choice, I end up with Panasonic GF-1.Their built-in flash and the pancake lens 20mmf1.7 (equivalent to 40mm in 35mm terms) were the reason I got this cam instead of Ep-1. There are people that mentioned the GF-1 built in flash is useless as it is low in power. However, there are many instance when I need a touch of filled-flash, this little flash helps alot.However do note note that Panasonic & Olympus m4/3 shared the same mount so in future if any of the companies has a better body, my lens can be used again. These type of camera, with proper adapter attached, you can fit any lens on it. But manual control is neccessary.

I used Canon system since 2003 and have used extensively the "speed monster" of Canon 1Dmark2, I felt the AF speed GF-1 is reasonable for kids, streets and general photography except for sports.

As the look and size of this cam are amature looking, I enjoyed bringing it out to shoot without worrying people noticing me as compared to using a DSLR. This camera has made me enjoy shooting again and I feel more an photography artist than just a photographer.