shawn , If you read the data sheet for the processor you are using, it normally refers to FOSC/4 as the fastest speed for the hardware SPI function. This is MUCH faster than using the software routines within PBP. The advantage of the routines is you can select ANY port pin to be used for the function as well as have the function available even if the particular processor does not have a SPI module.

Dave Purola,
N8NTA