Quote - Hey,

I worked there from '00-'01 before tech support was outsourced to Jamaica of all places. (Hey, any of you want to move to Jamaica? No? See ya'...)

Thanks again, and take care,

• A

Gotta love job security these days. I think outsourcing CEO and management positions would help the bottom line even more. :)

Coming into this late, I see the others have supplied good info in response to your questions. I would agree that Carrara and Bryce are reasonable choices for your first 3D apps. You mentioned you have an interest in mechanical things, and while you can certainly model these in Carrara and Bryce, there are certain advantages to using a CAD modeler (FormZ, VectorWorks, SolidWorks etc.). 

If you stick with Carrara and Bryce (and maybe Wings3D) for now,  you will have enough background in 3D to understand what all these other apps could do for you (areas where your current apps may not meet your needs). 

Chris