I take no insult. It was yesteryear and Bryce was one of the apps that created a cult following.  Many of the cultists, such as myself. bought pro apps like your hated Autodesk Ultimate Suite, max/maya/mud/xsi/ etc.

The very first app that I learned to model in was Bryce.  Even if it didn't export, I learned about booleans and polygons and blobs.

It is kinda fun to look at today's renderings.  I recall the cover of Expose back in 2004.  It was stunning at the time.  Today, any novice can match or exceed that with the default settings in Poser FireFly. 

Lux has some good shaders and procedurals and lighting going there.  I always enjoy his renders.