At full draw length the force drops a lot and so you can hold and aim them much easier and still have more energy stored in the bow. The disadvantage is that usually they are more expensive. (But I have never shot with a compound bow, so this is just what I remembered from other sites).

well, apart from the difference in feel of a dead aluminum/plastic/whatever else VS the feel of a handcrafted piece of art, the compound are easier to use.

as was already said, the dropoff, meaning at full draw the weight needed to keep the bow fully drawn is greatly reduced, makes it much easier to aim.

they are often equipped with sights and balances and anti-vibe things and whatever else, helping you aim, as opposed to just a grip and your fingers in front of you.

so ultimately, the compound are easier to use (i picked one up for the first time and got a all five arrows on the target) but the traditional bows ultimately use more skill, and the archer will be more skilled and will most likely know thier bow much better than those that use compound.  just a feeling i get.

ever heard of training wheels?

get a big boy bow 

I hunt with a compound and (dare I mention) a release mechanism.  I really like the esthetics of a traditional bow, and I was dead set against the release until I tried it.  Given a limited amount of time for practice, the technology gives me the accuracy that's necessary for ethical hunting.  And it has its own esthetic, a creative blending of primitive and machine.  If you plan to hunt, I highly recommend a release and a whisker biscuit.

C_A, i think it works like sticking a pencil through a soft bristle brush and holding it there...

the bristles all come to the middle from the outside, and you stick your arrow in the middle.  when you release, it flies right through the bristles and the vanes go through the spaces. 

puts the arrow right where you want it every time, regardless of human factors like unsteady fingers or a tip of the bow...as far as i can tell anyways.

Traditional bows definitely, I just got thru making one out of osage orange, im not sure what the draw weight is but it took alot out of me just to string the thing

i have a compound bow, but shooting with a traditional longbow is much more satisfying. a compound bow is as wannabeslinger says, training wheels. a compound bow is a dead machine, a yew bow is alive.

look at these

http://www.bowsports.com/acatalog/Traditional_Bows.html

SV