I'm sure others on here will have more experience to share and can provide better answers. As to the other questions.not 100% sure and it depends on exactly what you are trying to do.
Short answer to your first question is: Yes, the computer is required while you use the VIDA application. It helps that I work with computers for a living. Found a DiCE module on eBay for about $75, then the fun began. I just did the same thing a little over a year ago for my 02 V70 2.4T.
