Pros:  1. Has lots of features for modeling people including some new tools for engineering modeling such as gears and pipes. Slowly adding things otherwise only available in a cad program. 3. You can extend the program through the addons system easily. 4. You can make it look as good as you want it through the preferences dialogue. 2. The same power of blender with a new easier to use gui.

Cons:  2.56a is still in beta and has minor crashes from time to time but very rarely. The program also experiences minor things associated with beta but overall the program is almost very good. Hours and hours of developers refining it.

Other Thoughts:  Blender 2.56a will be the best, easiest, greatest, version of blender, open for everyone to use and enjoy. This updates my review from 2007 by the same nickname of how terrible the gui was.