In blender: edit mode (tab), vertex select mode (Ctrl+tab, 1), deselect everything (A) and Ctrl-click to make a vertex. If you have something selected while Ctrl-clicking it will duplicate that and connect it to what you had selected if possible. Tho extrude is very useful, get used to it asap

EDIT:Actually it seems Ctrl-click is pretty much like extrude, except it rotates whatever is being 'extruded' towards where you click.