How is OpenGL formed

is the switch from fixed rendering pipeline to VBOs & shaders a big one in terms of performance? Also will it be hard to comprehend coming from doing only fixed rendering pipeline methods?

>>5
GL11.glNewList(scene_render, GL11.GL_COMPILE_AND_EXECUTE);
GL11.GL_COMPILE_AND_EXECUTE
AND_EXECUTE

>>4
>>5
>>7
It's java, JOGL and lwjgl uses GL11.xxxx for referencing openGL calls.