Just for info: for those of you how are interested in blender 2.5 and its new gui have a look here:
http://www.graphicall.org/builds/
It's is already quite far in development. Actually I just played around a bit! Much is understandable
from the beginning! Some shortcuts are still the same others seemed to be changed. Just have a look on
your own.
Ah interesting, I never quite got into blender as I already used 3ds max and it's pretty hard getting accustomed to (blender is, not 3ds max). Perhaps it's time to start to reconsider 
Blender just roxx! Once you got familiar!
nice! it's totally cluttered interface has always been the main thing keeping me glued to Maya and 3DS Max, looks like they've done a lot of refinement
The one and for me at the moment most interesting question: how compatible is the 2.49 plugin-system with 2.5! As we now got such a great exporter I hope the port won't be too hard…
Video about the new Stuff:
And now…
Blender Foundation Releases Blender 2.5 Alpha 0
http://www.blendernation.com/blender-foundation-releases-blender-2-5-alpha-0/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Blendernation+(BlenderNation)
The download link: http://www.blender.org/download/get-25-alpha/
I guess I know what I'm doing over the upcoming long weekend 
Just remember this is the first 2.5 release and there are a still alot of bugs and features not yet implemented. They plan on other 2.5 alpha releases with the final polished, working version being named 2.6.
ashtonv said:
And now...
Blender Foundation Releases Blender 2.5 Alpha 0
http://www.blendernation.com/blender-foundation-releases-blender-2-5-alpha-0/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Blendernation+(BlenderNation)
The download link: http://www.blender.org/download/get-25-alpha/
I guess I know what I'm doing over the upcoming long weekend ;)
at first glance, it gonna take alot of getting used to, alot of tedium is gone but allot has also been put in....it seems :( but maybe I'm jumpin the gun a bit we'll see, sticking to 2.4x for now
Heh… yah… I didn't mean that I was, or am, going to ditch 2.4x anytime soon, but only that the alpha was released and that it is a sign of great Blender things to come! Notably, I will prolly ditch 2.4x when Blender 2.5x hits the first or second beta on its timeline to its stable 2.6 release in mid-2010.
Well… I loaded it up, and…
It's just like your first Blender experience ALL OVER AGAIN!!!
Heh… the same sheer sense of being both awed by the power and overwhelmed by the complexity at the same time!
In all seriousness, it feels so much better though right from the get-go. It'll take time to work out the confusion/kinks of where to find stuff and get into the nooks and crannies but its a remarkable GUI improvement.
sbook said:
nice! it's totally cluttered interface has always been the main thing keeping me glued to Maya and 3DS Max, looks like they've done a lot of refinement :)
The old GUI made my eyes bleed.
Prolly not going to switch, I don't even do much modeling with my current tool I use these days. Too much code to write...
The HottBJ XML exporter does not work with blender 2.5, but since the whole export API has been changed/improved that might solve some of the problems of the HottBJ Devs accessing the blender scenegraph…?