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Ok, next phase - the reader/writer box.
As far as I can tell, if I go with a Brother product, or Baby Lock or Most Vikings, the Ultimate box will work fine at a much lower price tag.
It's listed at $189 with the Ultimate Card at ABC Embroidery.

How do you Embroidery Pros feel about that choice?

Love to pick your brains!,

Yep, Ultimate works fine with PES (and I do believe HUS as well). What it doesn't do as far as I know is save information for designs you make for multiposition hoops. I might be wrong, and if I am I would be delighted to know how it's done, apart from splitting the design and saving it as 2 parts. The box (or rather the software driving it) that comes with PE Design does this automatically.
I love my Ultimate box anyway!
I think it's even cheaper than $189 at Allbrands!

I dont have a brother so I have the amazing box cause I am addicted to purchasing other brands cards.

Well, I'm a relative newbie at this whole thing, but since I have a PE-150, I went with the Ultimate Box. I haven't had any problems with it so far, nor do I know enough about the other boxes to compare it to them. My only complaint is that before you can add a design to the card, all designs that are on the card must be deleted and you have to start from scratch. I think that part's lousy. It doesn't do much good that it can hold a lot of designs, if you have to reload all of them every time you add a design to it. I know some folks have bought a second card for that reason. But they are pretty pricey.

I don't know about the other boxes, but that is the same with the Brother box: To write a design crad has to be erased.
With the Ultimate box software though you have the holding area, and all designs there will be written to the card. Often what's in the holding area is what you wrote the last time, so if you don't take them away from there they get back to the card together with the new designs.
You can also choose to read the card first, add designs to the holding area and then write them back.
Sure, it's not as easy as adding to a floppy disc, but I suspect most if not all boxes work the same in this aspect.

I've had the Ultimate Box for a few weeks now and have been thoroughly impressed. There were some issues in the beginning but they were caused by my computer. We ended up buying a new computer this weekend with XP and the Ultimate Box software loaded with no problem this time. Did have to download the driver from the vikant website, however. Still, it has been fantastic.
It is $169.00 at allbrands.com and they provide an extended warranty at no charge.
http://allbrands.com/products/abp06200-0145.html
Allison

I have the Ultimate box with two cards, and have loaded aproximately 56 to one card and 50 to the other one. They are the designs I use most frequently. I very seldom change what is on them. EXCEPT when I load designs FROM a design card to save to my computer so I can send them to my Bernina. They have all been pes or hus files. I LOVE my ultimate! Every time I go to the Bernina dealer for a sewing class, I just smirk when they try to push the amazing box off on the students.

However, I am sure all the boxes have some great features...it just depends on what you need it to do, I guess.

I too have an Ultimate box and two cards (that were purchased right here at Allbrands!!)..I love the UB, it is quick loading and has not let me down yet..When combined with all of the Embird software they are a perfect match. Good luck on your purchase

Krystal B

I guess I'm the different one here, but I have a Babylock Ellure - I bought PE Design 5 when I bought my machine. If we ever get more employees at the paper, I'm going to take a day off and do nothing but play with Pallet and see if I can learn to digitize a design. The class I took convinced me if I take some time to play I will absolutely love the program.
Of course, my opinion and a dollar will get you a cup of java.

Susan