For the inexperienced, it's an easier way to end up with an uncompressed file which has more information than a JPEG, though you would be hard pressed to see the differences between TIF and Fine JPEG. As you get more experienced you'll see the advantages in shooting RAW, especially if things need to be corrected (incorrect camera settings) after the shoot. RAW also lets you compare different setting after the shoot. Consider a RAW file like a digital negative.

Frankly, except for landscape photography, I find TIFF capture to be too slow. The camera takes forever to write the data to the memory card and clear its buffer. (Not many cameras include a TIFF capture mode.)

I also prefer RAW capture but of course, every RAW file must be converted to TIFF using special software. That can be time consuming for numerous images made during a long trip.

Still, RAW is ideal for making adjustments (exposure, color, contrast, white balance) BEFORE actual processing to maintain optimal image quality.