What Bootloader to use?

Hello all!
I'm new here to the forum. Actually not new just first post. I have been programming PICs for about 6 years now and have quite a few projects. I am currently working on converting the Serial Servo Controller to USB and it works fine but am dreading changing the chip out everytime I need to change something in the firmware. So....I would like to know if anyone is using a bootloader and what you would recomend? I've researched through Google and the forums here and pretty much everywhere but haven't come to a consensus or if the ones suggested need updating I am not investing in another compiler since i only do this as a hobby I'm very selective on what I spend money on. I have been using the 18F2550 and 4550's to GREAT sucess and have CDC communications working between visual basic and PIC via USB using the following schematic:

http://bafoontecha.blogspot.com/2008...0-minutes.html

I am also interested in making a USB PBP/VB Bootloader in case anyone wants to help with that. I have pretty much deciferred the Sparkfun source code to update to a USB CDC version since my computer doesn't have serial ports. But I have questions on how exactly the info translates from the Hex file to the pic. I can read through a hex file and totally understand how to do checksum and reading bits and the Intel Hex format, etc. I just get lost at the part of uploading the program to the PIC memory from my VB program and with a family I just don't have tons of time to do a lot of researching before building so I figured a good joint effort between fellow designers might help.

Any and all help is appreciated and thanks in advance I hope to become quite regular here now,

Larry