Modo’s UI is highly customizable so it’s you can tailor the interface to suit the way you work. Check out all the vids at the Lux website.
To answer your questions it’s fairly intuitive to learn but if you’ve many years using another 3D app it still takes a little while to get around to “thinking modo”. This is true when switching to any app however so don’t let it put you off. By consensus, the easiest transition is for Lightwave users as there are similar philosophies between these apps. Renders are very quick in modo. Why not try the 30 day demo?
For what it’s worth, here’s a pic of my interface.
modoscreenshot
Cheers,
Keith