phpbb, vbulletin, or something else?

[NeitherSparky]

This is for y'all who run your own forums (including this one I suppose). I *really* need help deciding which forum software to get for my rapidly growing database of members on one of my fansites. We're with proboards now but I want to host my own forum, on my own site, with a nice high-end program with lots of features, but I can't decide which one to get. I do have php and mysql and perl and python and all that good stuff on my site I just...don't know how to use any of it. 😉 My brother is a programmer though and he said he'd help me, though I understand you don't really have to know programming if you buy like, phpbb or vbulletin. Can *anybody* here give me any pointers on which of those two - or any other good program - they recommend? A comparison of features, or ease of use? How easy is it for a single person (with no programming knowledge) to do the bulk of the maintenance on a forum like that?

I know this might be a long shot asking here but I'm going to try to ask around on a few big forums I'm on, maybe I can get some help. Bandwidth *might* be an issue, but I can buy more if I have to. Cost isn't really an issue, I have a really popular forum and fansite, the people who make the show even visit the site and the creator is a member of my forum...I just really want whatever's best for the fans. Proboards is starting looking a little too ghetto for me. 😉

Thanks. 🙂

~Sparky