I'm not going to rehash all the pros and cons of direct modelling vs history but there is one area - one critical area - where direct modelling will never match history - learning the software and technical support.

Once you get beyond a certain stage with Soldiworks or any 3D system the best way to learn is to look at how others build parts. In SolidWorks this is easy - you just step through the history.

There is no way to do this in a non history system as all you get is the "lump" and no hints as to how you arrived at that lump. This occured to me today while I was working through Nelson Au's iPhone model on SolidSmack (nice work BTW Nelson). This is one of the ways I show people how SolidWorks, works. It is also the way you can dissect a model to see how it has been built and how you can advise on a better or alternative approach.

Funny that all the commentators have gone on and on about direct modelling ad naseum but as far as I know this hasn't been picked up? Most people can pick up any 3D system in a day or two and I admit direct push pull stuff is probably faster to learn initially, but after a few days you want to try the hard stuff and this is where the history systems start to offer more I think.

Just an observation.....