SLR Camera / Editing Software?

Boy, you ask a lot of questions. I'm going to go through your text and throw out quick responses.

Good idea keeping the Olympus as a walk-about camera. Digital zoom is a marketing ploy that degrades image quality. Don't use it.

It sounds like your best bet would be to move up to an entry level SLR. Any well-known manufacturer's camera will serve you well. Bear in mind, however, that your choice will more or less commit you to the line once you start buying lenses. So Canon and Nikon are your best bets in this regard.

Stop thinking that the number of megapixels is significant. With today's cameras it isn't.

SLRs have autofocus, but the zoom is manual. This is because experienced photographers prefer the finer control. Most have live view on the LCD now. However, as you become more experienced and your arms get tired from holding a heavier SLR at arm's length, you will gravitate toward using the viewfinder in all but a few circumstances.

Lenses. Your point-and-shoot has one lens that tries to do everything. There are optical compromises that must be made to make this possible. This detracts from image quality. SLRs have different lenses for different uses. I recommend starting out with the kit lens, which is a compromise between better optics and the broader applicability of a point-and-shoot lens. If you stick with it, you will gravitate toward pro-level lenses with superior optics. But you can put off that decision for now. The kit lens will give you better results than your point-and-shoot.

Photoshop Elements is a $100 image-processing program that is considered industry standard for casual users. Some photographers use Gimp and Picassa. I can't comment on these, as I never used them. Your software will give you the ability to touch up your images, like removing utility wires and facial blemishes. However, I would keep the birds in your sunsets, which are commonplace images (one happens every 24 hours) that succeed only when there's something else interesting in them.

Since you asked, I'm a lifelong Canon shooter. I prefer APS-C sized sensors because I hike with my gear and shoot wildlife and action. Cameras with 35 mm sensors are more expensive, heavier, slower (some), and don't have the reach. You will run across some photographers who claim that one is not a serious photographer unless one goes "full frame". Ignore them. Entry level SLRs have APS-C size sensors. My cameras are in the next tier because I prefer some professional features that are not in the entry level cameras.

Hope that helps.

My I say that you gave great info in your question. Now I will give a very short answer.

Use what you have till you just can not get the images you want most of the time.

Go hold and play with the DSLR cameras at the camera store OFTEN as you save your money.

The right camera is the one you will feel at ease with. When you buy lenses, pay more and stay with the makers lens is my advice. The lens with the kits are the base lens that are OK but when you pay for the upgrade lens you get a lot of small upgrades that make a visual positive difference in your images.

Software, there are a number of them but Photoshop makes the ones most of us use. I have found that if I work hard when taking the image there is less to do later in the post production. Also,Yes, you can do all of the things you ask about with most of the software.

Well, it was almost short.

ALL dSLR's use batteries and most of them use Li-ion batteries and recharging them is not such a big deal. Since my dSLR can get over 1,000 shots per charge, all I have to do is make sure that I charge the battery the nigh before I intend to shoot an assignment. If you avoid using the LCD (for checking each image - learning how to trust your cameras light meter will help), rarely use the Live View and turning off the camera after each shooting sequence. If you are a student, you can buy Photoshop CS5, Extended for under $200 or Adobe Lightroom 4 for under $100. If you are a shooter, then Lightroom is what you need. If you are a retoucher, then Photoshop CS5 is what you will want.