Here is one thread in which someone has problems with that converter. It also has several alternates.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=22424
BTW, most embedded microprocessors still use serial connections for programming. So it isn't IFI that it is behind the times. If you think about it, when you are designing an embedded system to last 10+ years, you definetly want to use the tried and true technology.