One of the coolest things about owning a Canon is that you get to use the EX series flashes. I had a Canon Elan IIe, and I think I used the built-in flash about 2 times in five years of ownership. It didn\'t have the illumination power or flexibility (bounce, swivel) of my external EX flash. In my opinion, built-in flashes just suck in most cases. Flat looking images, red eye, battery drain, SLOW recharge, there are many drawbacks.
The way I see it, if you\'re buying a digital SLR, you\'re already committed to owning a larger camera. The main reason is to use interchangable lenses. That means you\'re going to be carrying even more with you; a body + lenses. Might as well buy a slightly larger bag, and carry a flash as well. Otherwise, all your flash photos will have that flat bland look the point-and-shoot crowd is so accustomed to.