Thank you for the replies.
I agree that Photos is not a workbench and I do like the keywords to show below the thumbnails, and even on the hovering tooltips (in Aperture). I like the ability to compare two images side by side. So I understand well the criticism at a generic level - simplified software that foregoes functionality that is desired by many (amateurs) and critical to some (Pros).
Trying to understand, the small things that Photos causes us to give up and trying to assess whether it is worth giving up those small things for Photos.
What we need to give up:
Ability to save file hierarchy (of some kind) at a filesystem level
Far more capable keyword system including easy access to updating photos with keywords.
Star ratings for images - which even I used to use
Smart albums based on many attributes
Structured hierarchy - projects, folders, albums, smart albums within albums and outside.
Ability to easily move to another software (given files are sorted at the filesystem level), although edits will have to exported as flat images I wish they had updated Aperture to also integrate into their eco-system. Alas, Apple did not think it generated enough ROIC - directly through software revenue and indirectly through hardware sales(Return on invested capital). Far fewer people used it.
With the above said, I have surveyed alternatives to Aperture and none of them appear as good and there is no hope that they will integrate into Apple eco-system quite like Apple's Photos does. And my family has adopted the Apple eco-system...
Apple appears to focus maniacally on user interface. Photos I presume is important to them and they will keep adding features that will make it more powerful over time. Apple has resources to make it better and since >50% of their Mac user base will use it, and >95% of their iPhone user base will use it, I think they will develop it well. Apple Photos uses live photos, can handle videos - I hope, and allows me to share albums seamlessly with iPhones and few others who I want to share photos with can see those albums on the iCloud web I suppose, or if the need arises on Flickr or such.
And so, I feel that the jump to Apple Photos is an appropriate one for an amateur who uses a Mac and iPhone and other devices in the family.
Would love more critiques on gaps in my thinking with respect to this one way change I am about to make and that others might be considering.
The comments so are helpful but I am not marking the question answered because it is less of a question and more of a prompt to request a few opinions to fill the thinking gap or to negate the thinking.
Thanks!
