The new blender interface is miles better than what it use to be, I have been using it on and off for about 6 years now.
They both have their own strengths and weaknesses.
Blender is free and can produce very professional looking work if you know how to work with it. The downside is that it has a pretty steep learning curve, but it is very rewarding once you figure it out.
3DS max on the other hand is an industry standard for most video game development, just recently started learning it for my animation certificate. It is pretty pricey but you can get a student version for free so you can test it out to see how you like it.
They are both very good. I have them both installed and I am learning those two along with Maya. I suggest have him download Blender and 3DS Max student edition and see which one he likes.
There is my 2 cents. Hope it helps out a little bit.
"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me" -Batman Begins