Chewie,
I too recently (4-5 months so maybe not TOO recently lol) upgraded to a newer camera (canon 8 mp) in an effort to improve the quality of the photos of my customs.
At first, out of maybe 10 shots i would take, 4 would actually turn out really well. I couldnt understand what i was doing wrong i mean i bought the better camera right? Well my GF who is much more into cameras and the like than me suggested i get a couple different filters since i was primarily using flourescent light ( i know i know, its a no-no but too lazy to get proper lighting hah) and once i started using a FL fliter the pics improved so that roughly 8/10 shots turn out well.
I dont know if you're able to use different filters but i would try that if its an option. Otherwise make SURE you have 2 good light sources set-up. I was able to get some pretty good shots with my old camera (4 mp) with having two quality light sources:) (until they met with an unfortunate end, lol)
And as for uploading them to your computer, i used to do the connect the camera to the computer then transfer the images over routine but opted to try out a memory card usb reader and it's a LOT quicker and not to mention easier:)