"Yes, I've been using 2.5 for a little while, but I really don't like the interface. It's better than the old one, ...."

Funny to hear this as once I got used to Blenders old interface I really don't like the new one. I find when I use Blender I usually end up in 2.49. I guess my age is showing!

Yes, I agree - it really does come down to what you've used previously.

I started with 3ds Max, and so Blender's interface (both of them) seems quite alien to me!