I dont think you can do usb without using a program. USBModem can do it. Did you contact apple about the issue? I just got a new macbook pro and its really slow too, I used to do it with my powerbook g4 and it worked really well. I called and they said i should be getting dial up speed when using bluetooth(which is a lie) and I told them it seemed liked a hardware issue but the girl wouldnt admit to that. Just wondering if they gave you any answers. I'm considering taking it back and just waiting for the new revision of notebooks