I tell you what, Why ppl don't use Softimage:
1. Softimage marketing just sucks. They don't follow up with the client. Once the client has a problem, they don't even try to help you out. My Instructor was trying to continue the licence of XSI for the next semester. He called Soft for manymany times., ask tell them about the
situation. But they don't even care. They mailed us a wrong copy of XSI too. So, their marketing is jsut sucks.
Compare with maya, Maya is now lower the price. They ask company to change their software to maya for FREE. Most important is that they are about their client. unlike Soft.
2. it is something about Home user (I am talking about illegal thing) How many of you see XSI can download off the internet warez site? NEVER, i never see it on any of the warez site. However, Maya 4 is everywhere. (since maya is very easy to crack and hack into the server) Compare to XSI. I only can find them in newsgroup. But barely can see any.
XSI is very very hard to crack. PPl working for months to figure it out how to crack the server.
3. I don't see much books is talking about Soft. I've been playing with XSI for half a year. I only learn by myself. If i have any questions, i go to forum for help (ur... i should parden myself. I was a softimage 3D user for 1 year b4 i know XSI. I did went to a XSI trainning for 1 week
)
But really, when i get my first touch of Softimage. I can't even know how to select object. it is partly it is very different from any other software. But once you get going (know what you are doing), it has a pretty good work flow. Very user-friendly.