Ok - I am going to throw my opinion in here as well. I too am from a IT type background (taught Advance Placement Comp Sci for 8 years). I bought a cheaper program (one of the Jenny Haskin programs) with very little flexibility and SO not intuitive. After a year - I finally broke down and purchased EQ6 and there was no going back. I have updated to EQ7 now for the convenience of having two computers active (unlike EQ6 - where you had only 3 activations no matter what - EQ7 allows for unlimited installations and you can manage which ones are active easily).
I use mine all the time. I do a $5 BOM at the LQS which requires templates - because I am cheap I just come home and draw it in EQ, print out the templates or the PPing and do the block. I play with designs, colors and layouts all the time. While there are a list of things I wish it could do - in a heart beat I would buy it again for all the things that it does do for me.
I did not find it difficult to learn to use - I might have even said it was straight forward for the basics. Granted some of the more advanced drawing and quilt designs are a bit more time consuming. There are some drawing techniques that to learn you have to walk through the tutorials a few times and to date I am still learning every day I use it. The custom quilt layout can be cumbersome at first and if you want to design hexagon shaped blocks it is neither easy or intuitive (imho). I expect that we all take the time to "learn" those techniques that we most want to use.
My only wish is that there were more online opportunities for advanced classes. However, our own Rhonda has so graciously shared her lessons with us
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...a-t195158.html
It is well worth the time and effort to go through them.
I love my EQ and would not be without it. If you have the $$ and you want a good program I would highly recommend it. Also, see if you can find a dealer who sells it locally to you. Go in and ask to play with it - find out if they offer lessons. Granted, Quilt in a Day or even jhittlesewing.com (they will give a price over the phone) might be way cheaper but you may be more comfortable if the seller offers lessons and support locally.