It depends on your usage.
Most people will just use the default, integrated forums in BuddyPress.
If you didn’t upgrade from the BP 1.0 series, then just use the default. Unless you like the idea of having two sets of forums (which could be confusing from a UI perspective).
I’m faced with the same situation. I love the integrated except for the fact that you cannot create any other forums that will not belong to any groups. This means that for every forum you want, you have to have members join that group as well to be able to post. I’m trying to find out current integration instructions for brand new full featured bbpress integrated since the old deep integration document seems for an old version. I don’t know if I have to fully set them up including cookie integration or if the bp linking handles that. I just wish I didn’t have to mess with themes and everything just to be able to add extra forums. That’s one question you’ll have to ask yourself.
Here’s a WPMU / BuddyPress / bbPress integration tutorial:
http://theeasybutton.com/blog/2009/07/17/integrating-buddypress-wordpress-mu-and-bbpress/
I’ve used this a few times myself.
Is that still valid? I used that before but not with1.1.3 before the one step integration so didn’t know if I still needed the plugin to link or anything else.
That tutorial is only if you want to have an external install of bbPress with WPMU/BuddyPress.
If you want to use the integrated version with BuddyPress, then just stick with what you have.
I know that the tutorial is for external bbpress integration. What I’m saying is that it was written before you had the option for linking bp to bbpress inside of buddypress. If I delete my bbconfig and reinstall forums, do I need to go through the full install including the cookies or do I only have to go to a certain point and then let buddypress handle it. I know that once I select external bbpress an let it integrae, I can then delete my old install files because it takes over. I just didn’t know at what point it takes over.
Thanks for linking me to the guide again. Was going to have to dig through old links to find it.
Integrating an external bbpress is quite straightforward, I made it and it works/looks as well as the default one.
My question was different:
Is there any difference to use the default one or the external one? Which benefits do I have using the external one? Will I have some special features available using the admin panel that I can’t access with the default one?
Thanks
External one just gives you the basic forum admin. You have the ability to create additional forums that don’t belong to groups. With the default one click method, you have to create a group for every forum that you want to create.
but I noticed there is a plugin support, moreover what about moderation? Do I miss something? If you say that there is no difference, I won’t even try to install again an external version to check it 
