Comparing Embroidery Products and some questions

Hi.  I am currently using Embird and Generations for embroidery digitizing. I like them both for different reasons but I'm interested in the new DecoStudio because I use Corel 3x for all my graphics work.  I love Corel 3x with one exception.  I wish there was some way to convert line-shaped objects to lines!  It's my biggest bug bear.  Much of the clipart I purchase comes as a bitmap with thickish black lines.  Generations converts these thick lines into filled objects and the results are horrible (IMO). If I delete them in Corel, it leaves big gaps between the other objects.  If I make my own clipart, I use hairlines or no lines and the results are great - much more flexible at the Generations end.  I've purchased some great clipart and would like to be able to use it without timeconsuming re-work.  When I use Embird, I manually digitise everything so it's not a problem, but Generations was an expensive toy and it has features which Embird doesn't have so I feel as if I have two great worlds - yet cannot have the best of both :-(

Anyway, I don't know whether either Corel 4x or Decostudio offer any solutions to this?

My other headache is the fact that there is such a huge difference in the UK and US prices for DecoStudio.  It's approx $1999 in the US, but £1799 in the UK which currently equates to about $3,500!  I think that's absolutely ridiculous and it doesn't encourage me to buy!  Can we Brits buy directly from the States?