3ds max vs Blender

3ds max and blender, why blender is free but 3ds max was very expensive!!
whats is the special of 3ds max?? and what 3ds max requirements that blender doesn't have??
and how about the rendering process?? is rendering in 3ds max faster or maybe better quality!!

Blender 2.5

3ds Max 2010

While Learning Toon Boom

So far learning Blender 3D for animating, rendering, compositing, modelling, gaming.
Now goin to learn toon boom for 2D animation.