I was gonna say this before, but was holding off until I could find a way of saying it diplomatically. Well, diplomacy is not with me today. You'll have to take it unvarnished. Many software packages make a good introduction to 3d. Preferably, the package should have rendering and modelling built in (so the beginner doesn't have to learn two new applications at the same time), should use methods and terminology that are similar to mainstream usage (so you can move on later and not have to relearn from scratch), and have an interface that isn't so cluttered or technical or obtuse as to be difficult to pick up quickly. Bryce fits the bill. So does Carrara. Both programs have a version for around a hundred bucks. Poser should NOT be included in the list. Poser is a Faustian bargain for the beginner. With very little effort you can approach that which is most difficult in any of the visual arts; the human form. It is far too easy to be drawn into the luxuriance of the flesh, and to be misled over how little you are actually learning, and how little control you actually have. Poser is fine for someone with a good basic grounding in 3d, or in the arts in general. It is a sticky trap for someone just starting out.