What is the best software for a beginner plus?

[Ovyron]

I would suggest using arena and playing against some of the lower elo engines available - they are much better opponents than a weakened strong engine.

Agreed.

However, playing against humans is better than against any weak engine.

[swami]

I would suggest using arena and playing against some of the lower elo engines available - they are much better opponents than a weakened strong engine.

Agreed.

However, playing against humans is better than against any weak engine.

Could be, but it's arguable that human at 1500 elo would make more blunder than the engine at 1500 and exhibit ratings fluctuations.

[Ovyron]

So?

The point is that humans don't make the same errors than computers and vice versa, so in the end you could end as a anti-computer expert learning techniques that exploit the engines' weaknesses but that will not work against other humans and you're not actually improving, for that, games against humans are needed.