i found Blender much more intiuitive than Hexagon and 3DS Max.  much.  everything i wanted to do was about 3 steps.  the tutorials i found for Hex and Max required much, much more and were much less clear and inaccurate.  ah well, to each their own.

no, most Poser users aren't very advanced computer users, to go by forum posts and from what i've observed in classes that taught Poser.  it's actually incredibly easy as production apps go.

and i would buy that DS was easier across the board if i saw complex shaders coming out or any discussions on heavy duty shader complexities.  instead, what i've seen is people get pretty much nowhere after extended research and forum posts.  if you're in the just try things until it looks good camp, DS is fine.  but if you're trying to incorporate realistic physical principles and correct workflow into shaders, it's much harder.   in my experience just finding out how is so difficult i literally don't know anyone who's managed, including those who identify themselves as DS experts and material gurus.

and imho, mastering true SSS and translucency in DS takes a lot of time and effort, even without considerations of conservation of energy and linear workflow.