DesKAM 2000 vs. CNC Pro

I'm looking for a good, low cost, CNC control program that works with a
step-direction controller. I have seen good things said about CNC Pro and
DesKAM 2000. Which is the best solution for a CNC newbie? Is there
another program I should consider?

It seems to me that a Windows based program wouldn't be a good idea for CNC
but DesKAM has gotten a good review. I use Intellicad 2000 so I can output
dxf for conversion to g-code, if needed.

I will eventually be buying a probe to interface to the system for 3D scanning.

I need something simple, but yet, I don't want to outgrow it either!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Stan