Like is said above, Carrara is MUCH more stable that it used to be! I haven't had it crash or a "render failed" error since installing the patch. The interface is very friendly and easy to get used to (I'm pretty used to the Metacreations stuff...cursing in the background.) The render engine is pretty fast! Along the same lines as 3DS Max, but not true caustics. All in all, if you can get it for $200, get it! Jared