Which embroidery machine is the best?

I have a Babylock Esante. I do however have to connect direct to my laptop to transfer designs, but that's not a problem.
I have hoops from 1" X 2" all the way to the 6" X 10". I love that versatility of 4 hoop sizes.
It is a beautiful machine to use.

For editing software, I use Sew What Pro ($65.00) and Sew Write ($40.00) from S&S Computing ( S & S Computing - Quality Affordable Software ).
The price is good and it is actually quite a powerful editing program.
I know there are bigger editing programs out there, but for me just starting out, this is working great. I can re-size, merge patterns, cut out parts of the design, rotate image and the list goes on. It's worth taking a peek at their site.
I could only spend $4,000 but really wanted to spend $12,000 on the Elisimo. Maybe later.

I have a Janome Memory Craft 9500 sewing/embroidery machine. I really love this machine and it has proven to be a workhorse. When I make things I tend to make them by the dozen. Sometimes my machine runs 8-10 hours a day. I have to download my designs onto a Flash Card and insert them into my machine, but once I learned to do this it's not been a problem at all. I wish I had a larger sewing field, but it came with a Giga hoop for large designs. I use the SewWhatPro64 ($65-see post above) and love it.

Hmmm, I have to/ look into these software programs to see what I'm missing! I don't have any but do quite a bit of projects on my machine.

I am very fortunate to have a really experienced embroidery machine gal at my local quilt shop who has the same machine as I do and she' a wealth of information and help when I need it. They even will split my patterns for me when I want to do one that's too large for my machine to do.

Thanks so much for all the great ideas! I will check them all out. Does anyone have a Bernina and do you use a non-Bernina software with it? That is really my issue. I want to be able to buy patterns and then embroider them using my Bernina, but the software is horrendously expensive. So, perhaps that is the better question: What non-Bernina software works with a Bernina?

Most software works with any machine. Most machines will take EXP. I have a 7 yr old Pfaff, and I can put almost any format in the machine (I usually use PES) and the machine converts it. I'm using Babylock software and it will save into every format but ART. So does the Viking/Pfaff 3-6D software. Go check out the Embird users. There is a dedicated forum on Yahoo (compusew with Jan) and Sewforum also has a lot of users. Most are very good about answering. I've also used the Brother PED software with the Pfaff.
The Bernettes used EXP. The machines were made by Janome for Bernina. The first small machines that Bernina had were made by Brother and used PES.

I have a Brothers 180D stand alone embroidery machine. I love it but I honestly wish I could occasionally make larger items since I am limited to 4x4. My size is perfect for quilt square centers, quilt labels, lace ornaments and other small projects.

The software can be pricy. I use Embrid and it costs $164 for basic which is plenty for me.

Main Features

I also needed a card and a box to transfer files from my computer to the embroidery machine (mine does not have a USB port). I have Amazing Box II but I bought it over 8 years ago. Here's what they offer now:

Little MAX with Card

Investing in an embroidery machine is not cheap. Between the machine, hardware and software you are at $1,000 and you do not have any designs, thread, stabilizer or bobbins. I love my machine and I have done so much with it that I have received my monies worth from. It is just not a cheap hobby.

I have a Viking Designer SE and did not buy the software. I bought Embird which is very affordable and it does everything I need. I think they have a free trial version that you can play around with for a few days to decide if you like it before you buy. It's limited but is enough for you to decide if you like it.