Xilinx has WebPack(free Software ).It include download softdownload but you have jtag cable or palallel cable to connect chip
Search in xilinx it has circuit for program chip
I agree Xilinx FPGA's are good. You can program them in several modes using different cables such as boundary scan, master serial, slave serial mode. A lot of people tend to use the Virtex Family for complex designs and spartan for simple ones just because of the add on capabilities of the virtex family.
Xilinx has WebPack(free Software ).It include download softdownload but you have jtag cable or palallel cable to connect chip
Search in xilinx it has circuit for program chip