I too have an old Skil that won't die, but with a good thin kerf blade
(see below), it cuts just fine. If I were in the market for a new
saw, I'd strongly consider one of the smaller corded models - like the
Skil 1155 or the PC 345 (and the PC 314 Morris mentioned looks very
nice too). I find that most of the cutting I do is in material less
than ~1.5" thick, and the lighter weight would be a nice benefit and
possibly even a safety feature (it would reduce fatigue, and maybe you
wouldn't accidentally trip the trigger on a smaller lighter saw?).

As far as trigger/safety designs, I'll second the recommendation to
try out as many models as you can locally, or order online but be
prepared to make a return if you're not completely happy. My Skil has
a thumb button that must be pressed before the trigger will go, and
I've appreciated that feature several times while picking up the saw
and accidentally hitting the trigger. I don't find the thumb button
to be inconvenient, but I suppose that depends completely on the shape
and size of your hands.

As for blades, I'm currently running a 7-1/4", 40T Freud "Diablo" that
I got at one of the borgs for $15. I find it cuts VERY cleanly (even
in baltic birch, laminate, etc.) and quite quickly, and has lasted a
long time. I once tried a 60T Oldham blade, but the thicker kerf and
smaller bite bogged down my old saw. I've heard that Tenryu and
Matsu****a make very good blades, but haven't tried them yet.
Hope this helps,
Andy