I agree, the best thing you could do would be to download demos of the newer or newest versions of the programs you are interested in and try them out. This would give you an idea of what they can do and whether they suit your style and needs or not. I have trueSpace and I like it a lot. If you download the demo and wait a little, Caligari will offer you some deal to persuade you to buy the program (lower price or a free expansion pack).