Yup; Ubiquitous SSD drives and (relatively) cheap RAM also help. Would I suggest most of my family shoot RAW - heck no; I don't want that headache :). But if y

Yup; Ubiquitous SSD drives and (relatively) cheap RAM also help. Would I suggest most of my family shoot RAW - heck no; I don't want that headache :). But if you're a enthusiast, student, or professional; if you want to learn and eek out the best photos, go RAW. Capture all data you can. Afford yourself the most opportunities today, tomorrow and down the road. You don't want to take that one perfect casual shot of bride's smile or that brilliant sunset or that amazing moment with your kids, only to find out you were under exposed or your white balance was wonky and you blew your highlights or lost your shadows and everybody is a purple dinosaur.