I have Viking 5D Pro, which costs € 1699 where I live, don't know the price in $$, and I have Embird + Studio + Iconiser - price together around $300. I prfer Embird. It is easier to digitise, I have yet to figure out how to make connection stitches in the expensive software and they are simplicity itself in Studio. Only drawback you have to digitise letters yourself or you can buy predigitised ones at $15 a set, 5D has 99 alphabets included, most of those you'll never use anyway.
hello, I have a Brother machine and PED-Basic too, I have Embird, first a bought Basic Embird, saved a little bit and got Studio and Iconizer, I have not "play" with studio too much, i even have a CD I started lesson one about two years ago, LOL!!!! I do not touch it for a while, and when I go back I have to star lesson ONE again, I learned very few simple things, I guess I am not a digitizer.... I do not know about other software ......
You will love Embird, and it is the best for the cost. I only have Embird basic and its Iconizer plugin, but they are great to assist with what I need in machine embroidery. The Studio plugin is the one for digitizing that goes with Embird. You purchase the different parts, as you see a need/want to learn. I was told by a digitizer several years ago, who purchased the expensive Generations software, that Embird was the way to go costwise amd ease of learning . She had initially learned to digitize using Embird. Check out www.embird.com for there prices and different plugins. I do not know how I ever did machine embroidering, before I purchased the Embird basic, and especially the Iconizer portion. Love my Embird. It's the favorite of many!
Angel
Buzz 2 stitches is $299.00, I am not familiar with embird but it has basic then plugins. I have never used either of these but I do use other Buzz programs and I like them.
stitch era is free and it digitizes. I have it but haven't figured it out yet. But you should try it.