Just revisiting this topic again....

It seems that HID is good enough to program and set up the PIC for USB use, but one really needs to generate a VB program to interface the PC to the USB device (aka PIC device)

I don't have VB, and was considering downloading the 60MB VB express from Microsoft.

Does anybody have experience with VB Express?

Does it have COMM components included? Or can you get them from a 3rd party? Prefer if they were free.... hahaha

I'm really interested in doing a bit of serial communications between the PIC(4550) and PC over the USB link, as most PC nowdays don't even come with Serial Com ports, USB interfacing is gonning to be the way of the future.

I don't want to go down the path of using a pre built usb 2 serial converter when a USB pic should be good enough, right?