Well, different strokes for different folks. I prefer to manage my photos; I don't care for the "inbuilt" management. I don't want (actually can't stand) "events", "projects", "dates", "faces", or whatever is the default. I don't need tags. I don't want "ratings" - my photos are either worth keeping or they're not. I can find my Columbia river gorge trip photos in a folder I created and appropriately named "Gorge 2012". So, as long as I can remember that I was in the gorge 😁 , I can find the pictures, LOL
I can search for camera type, resolution, place, subject, even my custom tags, like height of the sun over the horizon and define smart albums and web pages based on these rules.
Great for you if you need that - I have no need for it.
And Aperture keeps track of the different versions of any image and stores them economically. I do not have to waste diskspace on different versions of the same image by creating duplicates.
Again, I don't have a need for that because I don't keep more than one photo. It is either the original or a digitally enhanced version - whichever I like best is the one that is kept.
The only exception would be my artwork creations, but those are not photos - I will keep my original background for instance because I may use that again in another project (i.e. the birthday card I created for baltwo).
@ Terence:
Wouldn't it just be easier to use an app designed for the work you do? Elements? Acorn? Pixelmator? Graphic Converter?
I may use one or more/all of the following with one photo (depending on what I will be using the photo for): Graphic Converter, PS Elements, Image Tricks, Aperture, Digital Photo Professional, Swift Publisher and Photo to Movie. I will also use Photos while making a movie (as a background, for video layering, etc with FCE, LiveType, iMovie HD, the new iMovie and iDVD). I've experienced very little loss since I won't save as a .jpg until I'm done working on it.
FWIW, I believe we had a similar conversation some time ago; I simply want and use folders for my photos: "gorge 2012". I don't want it cross referenced, places, faces, dates, or whatever - just a container (folder) holding those particular photos. I find it much easier to deal with that than having to worry about a previous/future/incompatible library version. I control my Photos folder and can drag a copy of it anywhere I like.
I actually tried iPhoto some time ago and became completely frustrated at the flashing/moving dates "2010", "2011", etc while scrolling and trying to find a photo. I prefer a filing cabinet type filing system: alphabetically arranged folders containing appropriately named pics. I also use column view (never icon view). I never did find what I was looking for in iPhoto - until I went to my folder to find it.
As for keeping all materials in one folder while working on a movie project: since my sources are from half a dozen different people besides myself, I do not want any of those photos or video clips permanently - once I'm done with the movie, they will be deleted (there will be about 300 GB worth of files accumulated). It is therefore much easier for me to keep all of them in one folder (after I've catalogued them, weeded out what I don't want, enhanced others, etc - in other words, once they're the right size, look good, and ready to use). I'm dealing with photo sizes from 480 x 319 to 1920 x 1080 (and video in 720p and 1080p) and I have to find ways to incorporate them all and make the whole thing look good. And, when the movie is done and 20 - 40 copies burnt, the entire movie project folder is Toast (pun intended) 😉
As I said, different strokes for different folks - my system works for me whereas iPhoto's, Aperture's, et al does not.