From my experience, Milkshape 3D was more easy to pick-up and go.
Blender has some more advanced features, though I have found it to be a pain to just learn how to view the mesh.
I am still trying to learn Blender for these advanced features, but I still prefer Milkshape over it any day.
I want to try some other programs, such as hexagon, Wings 3D, and so on as well.