Alternatives?

I dont want to store duplicate images in the app / software, I store all my 1000s of photos on a hard drive

You don't need to have duplicates. Once you import the photos into iPhoto delete them. If you need to have your library on an external HD move the library there and run it there.

For the app / software to auto detect new images and uploads them for you.

Detect them where? From your camera? Just plug the camera into your Mac and iPhoto will detect new photos and ask you if you want to install them. Or you can create a folder on the hard drive with an Automator workflow attached to it that will automatically import any photo file dropped into it. However, if it's a duplicate iPhoto will ask you to confirm that you do or do not want to import it.

As well as the ability of facial recognition, for you to be able to search for photos that contain a combination of faces.

I don't use faces so can't comment on that. But it would be an easy thing to do to assign keywords to identified faces and then search on combination of keywords.

OT

I dont want to store duplicate images in the app / software, I store all my 1000s of photos on a hard drive

You can reference the files in that location but I strongly urge you not to. Here's why:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3062728?tstart=0

As OT says you can run a Managed Library in that location as long as the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled). It's easier. If you're worried about accessing your files: see this user tip:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491

For the app / software to auto detect new images and uploads them for you.

You can do this another way. Set up a watched folder with Automator and Folder Actions or use a 3rd party app called Hazel:

http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php

As well as the ability of facial recognition, for you to be able to search for photos that contain a combination of faces.

You can do this with a Smart Album.

Regards

TD

No - but then we are all iPhoto users who know how it works and like it - that is why we are here and why we choose it - and why we do not spend time evaluating other programs

Old Toad uses a DAM - Iviewmedia I think in addition to iPhoto - maybe it does what you want, maybe not

If you like Picassa then you shpuld be using it - no reason to use anything else

As to your requirements - iphoto handles them all jsut fine - there are no duplicates involved - if you choose to keep a duplicate that is totally your choice but with iPhoto there is no reason to

Detecting new images and uploading - as long as you are using a camera then iphtoo does that just fine - if your source of photos is a scanner or other non-camera then it does not but there are programs like hazel that will do it for you with iphoto

and iphoto does searches for multiple faces just fine

so - it is your personal choice - we can not make it for you - ours is iphoto

LN