Amazing Designs is owned by Babylock. The less expensive software are just offshoots of the really expensive design.
I played with them when they came out. Very usable for a beginner. Babylock does have good customer service. Why pay for something you don't need? I have Masterworks 2.
Nancy's Notions has Letter It by Amazing Designs for $99
http://search.nancysnotions.com/?q=s...h=&sp_cs=UTF-8
There are reviews on Amazon of Amazing Designs, you could also read those and make up your mind pro and con.
For myself, if something does work the way I want, it's worth the expense rather than futz around.
Embird is also good. It's online mostly but there are help groups on Yahoo. Compusew with Jan is one.
If you have any Babylock dealers in the area, check for sales. It used to be discounted as an introductory offer when it first came out.