This has been a good discussion (and civilized, too
!). I think the big question to ask yourself is what your photography interests are. I have a fairly complete Nikon D300s setup, but like many, I find it too big and bulky with all the lenses to take everywhere I go. I have been looking for a smaller package camera with good image quality and versatility for a while now. I found little point and shoots to be far too slow and the image quality wasn't there.
Then I fell in love with the Fuji X100, and it is a terrific little camera. It slips into a jacket pocket, the image quality is great, and it is a classic design. But it lacks a zoom, or the ability to change lenses, and the focus is a little slow as compared to my dSLR. I don't do much street shooting, so it
So for Christmas I got a NEX6 with the kit zoom lens. So far I have been quite impressed with this little package. Closer in size to the X100 than a dSLR, very fast focusing (and pretty accurate, too) and a zoom lens. Image quality is terrific, too. All in all it is great for photographing 3 very active boys, which are often the subject of my photography! Down sides are that the zoom lens is f3.5-5.6, which is significantly less good in low light than either a prime on my dSLR or the lens on the X100 (I know I could get a prime for the NEX6, and that may come, but then I lose the zoomability).
The NEX6 is, in my opinion, a significantly smaller package than a dSLR with a similar zoom, or even than a dSLR with a fast prime. It has much of the functionality and speed, but it will fit in a jacket pocket, so I am more likely to have it with me. The lenses are not a lot smaller than dSLR lenses, but that is because it has a APS sized sensor, and you need a fair amount of glass to get coverage on a sensor that size. To the OP, if you are a casual photographer who wants good versatility in a compact package, I can highly recommend the NEX6.