Here is a sample of RAW and how it can help make your photos better.
Normal RAW exposure.
Normal exposure jpg. They look pretty close because you are looking at a computer monitor. The RAW has been converted to jpg in post. The original jpg was done by the camera, a 1Ds Mk III in this case.
However, suspose you got something wrong. In this case I under exposed it by 3 stops. But it could be any condition. WB, color balance, saturation, and on and on, etc.
Corrected RAW.
Corrected jpg. But below lets look a little closer.
Especially check the shadows. Can you see the difference? Need a better look? OK, here is a 100% crop of that enlargment.
It should be blantly obivious that RAW is the way to go. All else was equal. Same camera. Same lens. Same time of day. Same, same!
Get Lightroom................
You said:
"Gimp was too hard to learn, seemed complicated as is most of the free programs."
This is a problem. I grant you Gimpshop is not as user friendly as PS but not by much. LR is going to have a learning curve too. As will all the software you will need. A person that has the goals you do will need Lightroom and you will also probably need Photoshop. You understand this? You said..........
" Later I may start a part time business and do portrets, sports, weddings, graduations, and other social events
I understand my friend. I'll just have to take things 1 step at a time, as I go. I will get whatever I need, but at my pace. I believe in living within my means. That may mean saving till I have the money to buy. I won't go into overload on credit cards, though I could, my credit is outstanding. Later, when I think I know what I need to know, I'd be willing to take out a loan for what I need, for my business. But not for a hobby. For a hobby I will save and pay as I go.
You said:
"This may be a problem, cause my best 2 i7 Pc's are laptops"
And it is a problem. I know of nobody in the business that uses a laptop for editing work they are going to sell. But you only need to get a good monitor. You can still use the laptops. Why do you need two just alike?
I used to make video's and I needed 2 desktops to make mulitible copies of DVD"s and CD's for events I recorded. I have 2 external DVD/CD burners connected to each. I should have got a high speed duplicator, but my 2 desktops allowed me to do work on both at the same time, doing my work much faster than I could with only 1 desktop. My laptops are more recent purchases for personal use. I have a 15", and a 17"....intel i7 laptops, one upstairs, and one downstairs. My desktops were for heavy duty purposes. Even though my desktops only have intel i3 processors, they can handle far more intensive work loads, much faster than my intel i7 laptops. It's just how they make Pc's. Everything being equal, a desktop will out perform a laptop.....and many times even if the laptop is higher powered. I also have an 11" netbook that I only use for traval.
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You said:
t must be nice Biggs to be able do what you do.."
Get ready, my friend Kareem, as this is only the beginning! If you are going to be successful at what you just stated you told me you want to accomplish. Just the start.........................................
I'm more than ready...I'm committed. I just have to learn the things I need to know, do the things I have to do, then leave everything up to the man upstairs to make it all successful. As long as I do all the things that I need to do.....I believe I'll be successful. I'm not a dreamer, I'm a doer. I believe if I put in the work and I'm good at what I do, everything will fall in place. But if things don't workout as I plan I will still be happy cause I love photography and video's. But you can't fail if you don't try. And if we fall, we get backup and try again (thumbs up)
If I missed anything let me know.
OK, sounds good. I guess we are pretty much done here than? Until you get LR?
I don't want to start another off topic subject as you don't need any thing to confuse your getting to know DPP at the moment.
But I did get the old 1D out to kinda show you something about pixels. All pixels are not created equal. Remember that.
I took the same picture with it and my 1D Mk IV which has a 16MP sensor. Again a A/B choice. Do you see a difference?
This kind of 'seeing' is going to become critcal as you progress. Here is 4MP vs 16MP both with a 70mm lens.
I am not going to tell you which is which. You choose.
Now get back to learning DPP. 
"You know Biggs it does take a little longer to convert RAw files to Jpg."
No it does not! It is the software you are using and the lack of experience. This will not be the case when/if you switch to Lightroom.
"B on the right looks sharper, better detail, and has more color saturation."
So you are saying 'B' is the 16MP shot? All I will say is don't bet your life on it. I am still not going to tell which is which. What I want to point out is the misunderstanding of pixels.
If you want another challenge, this is film vs digital. Which is which? Again I will not tell but I can say there is one very easy way to do so.
Top or bottom? Which is 35mm film and which is a DSLR?
When you get ready to buy some more lenses, I hope you think about it mpre more than you have. Focal length is not the only consideration. Overlap is not the only consideration either.
"How do I make chages and make the change permanate in my pics????"
You do know that F1 brings up the 'Help' screen? It will walk you through each step. Which is what I would type here so you may as well read it from your own computer.
