20x or 26x?

I am looking to buy either the Canon SX10 IS or the Olympus SP590 UZ. Can somebody tell me about the difference of 20x and 26x optical zoom? Is it worth it? Is the difference of 20x to 26x the same as the difference from 0 to 6x? Is there a book or a web site where I can learn about that?
So far, I have not been able to find a place where I can take a look at the Olympus. I like my Canon S2 IS and I'm basically a Canon fan, but I'm very intrigued by the 26x zoom.
Help!

Go here:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/

here:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/SP590UZ/SP590UZA.HTM

and here:

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_sx10-review/

for indepth reviews of the canon and preliminary reviews of the Olympus. There isn't much out yet on the Olympus that I can find.

Thank you, Repa. I already checked all these, but like you said, there is not much there on the Olympus.
I finally bought the Canon since I couldn't find a place where I could physically inspect the Olympus. I do like the Canon, but already lost the lens cap. It's not very well designed.

Rike, let me know how you like it and if it has the noise problem at ISO 100 and above like some of the reviews indicated. Does the in-camera noise reduction soften the focus and details more than one would like? I would love to have that kind of zoom, but all the reviews I've read on Canon and Panasonic indicate that quality suffers from the advances over what I have now in my Panasonic DMC FZ20. My camera was the last of its kind in Panasonic cameras to get a Highly Recommended. All the advances are Recommended or Barely Recommended. One step forward, 2 steps back!

Post some pictures.