Replying to Yeah... Another Camera Suggeston Thread

I know I'm going to get all kinds of crap for this, and before you say it, I DID use the search bar. I just want to get some more answers. Thanks.

1) What is your budget? How much money can you spend right away, and do you think you can get more money to invest in the future?

A: I could maybe go for $1250 at the max, but I would
prefer something around, say, $400 - $750.

2) What experience do you already have with cameras? Have you ever even used one before? Have you helped your friend out with his camera? Have you owned your own?

A: I'm pretty big into still shot stuff. Not trying to
brag, but I'd say I'm pretty good at it. I also have a
GoPro, and I've actually made a few edits with it, but
I'm looking into getting something a bit more
professional.

2) What gear, if any, do you currently have? (tripod, old camera lenses, mics, etc)

A: Not too much. Might have an old tripod laying around.

4) What are you planning to shoot and how do you want to use your camera? Are you going to use this with the sole purpose of shooting skiing? or do you think you might try other stuff as well (movies, documentaries, short films, etc)

A: I'll probably be using it 95% of the time for skiing,
but it would be nice to be able to use it for other
stuff for the other 5%.

5) Do you want a camera that you can hand to your friends, that could or could not have film experience, and let them shoot you? or will you be doing all the filming?

A: The only friend I would ever let shoot with it would be
the same friend who has some experience and has shot
tons of footage with my GoPro. Whenever I'd be filming,
he would probably be skiing with me, so it would
probably be both of us filming the same amount.

6) When filming skiing, how do you tend to shoot? (follow cams, leave it on record on a tripod and hike, film from a tripod, etc)

A: Probably a lot of follow cam stuff with the occasional
tripod shot, so having a handle or arm on the top would
be really nice.

7) What computer do you currently have/use to edit (if not currently editing, what would you most likely use)? If you can provide specifics, such as hard drive space, RAM, processor size, that would be great.

A: I have a... I think 2007 MacBook Pro running on 10.6.3
that I use a lot for editing. Really reliable too. I'm
not too concerned about that aspect.

8) What program do you currently edit on? How familiar are you with it (1- just learning; 10- I can make tutorials and know the keyboard layout)

A: I use Final Cut Express. I'd say I'm a high 8 to low 9
when it comes to familiarity. I edit all the time with
it, so I'm not really concerned with that aspect either.

Other: I would really prefer a camera with an arm or handle on the top, manually adjustable focus and aperture, and something that's not too heavy or hard to lug around on the slope. I was considering something like a Canon GL2 or DCR-TRV950, but those are kind of old and I wanted some more cameras to start researching. Thanks and +K to any answer as long as it's not ridiculous.