Gene51 wrote:
Your digital asset management program - iMatch - is fine. No need to replace it. Phototools is a mature company and their product is extremely well thought out, based on the trial I downloaded. It has many of the features of Lightroom's catalog and management, but is a more "open" product that can manage all sorts of files.
A thought about Photoshop. It is the best supported photo and graphics editor in the industry. 90% of those using it are likely only using 25% of its capabilities. So, it is logical to thing that it is more than you need, but that is fairly typical for a piece of software that is so broad in scope and deep in capability. It is more like a spreadsheet - you can use it for a million uses - from scientific and financial analyses to inventory management, project management, or simply keeping a simple flat list of "stuff". It's capability should not be a disincentive for getting it. But it has a raw converter (Adobe Camera Raw), file browser (Bridge) and the best editor in the business. There is nothing you can't do with it. Will you ever "need" all that it offers? Most likely not. Can you learn it easily enough to use it for your specific needs without having to master all 600 commands and thousands of techniques - of course you can. There are countless videos, tutorials, demonstrations, courseware etc, much of it free, that will help you learn what you need to know.
A computer to run this stuff is simple - i7 quad core cpu, 16 gb ram (preferably 32, or at least room to expand to 32), a solid state system drive, USB 3/3.1/C connectivity so that your external drives will have a fast connection, and a discrete graphics card with 2 gb VRAM (not Intel CPU based graphics which shares memory with the operating system and programs). A laptop will cost you about 30%-50% more than a comparable performing desktop.
External drives like Passports and My Drives and other packaged retail solutions are universally horrible. They fail at an alarming rate. Better to get a SDD (expensive, lower capacity) or a Western Digital Black drive which has a 5 yr warranty, and install it in a case that you can buy for around $25 - make sure the case has at least USB 3 connectivity. USB-C is better and faster. Installing the drive in the case takes about 5 minutes and you will only need a screwdriver - very easy, and much much better than the 4 TB Passport drives you can get at Walmart for $100, and may not make it beyond its 2 yr warranty.
I like Sager laptops - gamers use them as a lower cost alternative to Dell's Alienware - and they are fully customizable and as fast as most desktops when properly configured.
https://www.sagernotebook.com/home.php
Your digital asset management program - iMatch - i... (
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Hi Gene. Thanks for your comprehensive and helpful reply. You give a compelling argument for Photoshop. I guess I'm leaning towards Affinity because it appears that it will give me the capability I'm looking for at a much lower cost. Also, with the Photoshop/Lightroom package and my IMatch, I would end up with a second image management program that I wouldn't need or want. Thanks for the laptop suggestions. I'll have to think about the external drives. I now use a small, old Passport drive, OK for my JPEGS but probably too small when I go to RAW.