Need a recommendation

CannibalRobotics

I've been designing and prototyping with ExpressPCB for a while quite successfully. They have been fast and delivered a quality product. There is a problem though. They are charging quite a bit to provide the gerber files and I have to order a production run of boards to get the gerber files generated. I've just bitten the bullet the last few times but it's just becoming annoying.

SO, I am looking for recommendations of design and layout software with routing. I'd also like to take my prototype production in-house so I don't have to wait a week with shipping. I'm looking for the end to end solution. I know parallax sells a product but I don't know what the physical production needs are behind that.
Comments?
Jim-

WBA Consulting

I would definitely recommend DipTrace as your next step. Parallax has many designs using this software and the files are available for you to peruse on the Open Source Hardware page. Also, Gadget Gangster has some excellent tutorials on using DipTrace as well as files for many of his boards in DipTrace format. And lastly, several forum users are currently using DipTrace for their designs.

Microcontrolled

DipTrace is my personal favorite, and is free in a [not so] limited non-commercial version. It has great autorouting and is far less confusing than Eagle, which I have also used.

Leon

I've used Pulsonix for years:

http://www.pulsonix.com

It's a very comprehensive professional package. The excellent Electra autorouter is an option.

LoopyByteloose

I still enjoy Eagle CAD as it has a small free version in Windows, Linux, and OS-X. I've used it to make Gerber files AND all the related files for drilling and so on. And these files were successfully submitted for production to a jobber in China.

I guess time has marched on and people now tout other products as superior, but Eagle has gotten better with age and doesn't tie you into one jobber.