Hello, I'm another newbe in blender. After MAX and truespace I stopped in Maya, but I decided jumping to Linux. After knowing free software spirit and people who uses it, I tested blender and I think in it for serious works.
Interface is different, but learning curve is fast, render motor is fast, NLA is great, blender for Linux is fast and stable, and its performances are growing with each new version.
You don't need to spend hundreds of thousands of bucks, but buying the printed guide is good for you and for blender foundation (if you decide continue with it after testing).

Greetings to forum :)