Hi Steve,

If your just sending serial data between the pic and virtual comport than all you need are the files in the c:\pbp\usb18\ directory. You don't need to use EasyHID or the like, microchip have done all the work for us.

For starters you can follow the example at http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=5806 which I figure you have already seen.

If you want to get fancy and use your pic for sending 'other' data for example analog data, than using easy HID is the way to go. As for PC software - I've never been down that route but I believe VB is the most popular.

USB projects I've made include:

RS232 to USB (PBP cdc drivers)
PIC USB keyboard (Using EasyHID + USB Descriptor Tool)
PIC USB Flight Sim Pedals (Using EasyHID + USB Descriptor Tool)

For USB Descriptor tool -> http://www.usb.org/developers/hidpage/

As luck woud have it I'm just getting back into USB (been months since I played with it) and I'm having to relearn it all again...

If your new to pic programming than this probably isn't the place to start.

Cheers