Why... It has a better learning curve than programs like 3dsMax or Lightwave, and it's a lot of fun too. I originally got it to create comics for some short stories I had written. How Long? Since 1995, with version 1.0 (whew! how far we've come!) What Do I think? I think it's awesome. It needs a beefy pc to get good performance though, and the interface is a bit schizo. But overall it's worth it to keep going and plowing ahead. Poser allows people that are new to 3d to get started easily. It is addictive though... What Do I use it for? To create comics and animations, still images (mostly for my own fun and entertainment). I'm a writer, not an artist, so I use it to tell my stories. Basically I look at it like I'm the director, and the Poser figures are my cast, and the various Poser Marketplaces are a wide-open Props shop!