Re Modo. NLA - no. X-Particles - no but it does have a particle system that's similar to Thinking Particles but easier to set up and use. TFD - what's that?
If animation is what you're into then Modo isn't what you're looking for although basic animation is just as good as anything else. It's great for modelling and UVing.
Re R19. If GPU rendering is what you've been waiting for then you'll love R19. If it's not and you were waiting for more modelling or UV tool enhancements then you're going to be disappointed. Expect AMD Prorender, some modest MoGraph enhancements, updated importers / exporters, very minor UV tool enhancements, handful of other minor enhancements. There will be some under the hood stuff but nothing to get excited about.