Dont waste your time on that huge thread. Its actually really easy.

1. Put the verizon cd in your computer and close the auto start thing.
2. Go to oem/apps/drivers/cdma usb modem and copy that folder to your desktop. (I looked all over the net for these stupid files!)
3. On the phone go to file explorer, windows/wmodem and click it. (yeah they hide it in there)
4. if it gives you a data session in use error, turn on flight mode, then turn it back off and click start as soon as it gets signal.
5. plug the phone into the computer with the usb cable. If you don't click start on wmodem it may try and pull up active sync and you need to close that and start over.
6. When it asks for the driver point it toward the cdma folder you copied off the cd.
7. Start up the cdma dialer.exe in that same folder.

user = your phone number in the format 555-555-5555@vzw3.com
pwd = vzw
dial = #777
8. Click connect and your on the net!

I connected at 230KBps and its pretty fast and totally usable even with only 1 bar. No need to download or install anything, you already have everything you need. Just figured i'd post this up after spending a couple hours reading the large sticky thread and searching the net. Yeah, i posted this on my laptop tethered to the phone, right next to my unplugged ethernet cable, and wifi turned off. And yeah, i am way behind the times and should have done this years ago!