Backup going on 5 days using SuperDuper macbook 2007

I am working on a late 2007 Mackbook which I hav been trying to make a backup copy of. I decided to go with SuperDuper for reasons listed below to do the back up which as been going on now for 5 days. It is still not even half way done. Sorry if below is rant-like.

So Time Machine:

1. Made the entire machine lock up multiple times before successfully getting it to start backing up.

2. The machine was hot to the touch, way past an expected range for doing backups

3. Could not even use the machine for anything, like even minimizing the progress window once it started.

4. Expected range never dipped beneath 48 days and only once out of the 7 times I ran this did the bar move a noticable distance. The machine was getting to hot despite the fan underneath and it being on ice cold tile. I turned it off with 37 days left.

5. I am not completed stupid with computers, but this was seriously not working the way it should. I have dont this on numerous other macs and never encounterd anything like this machine.

I chose SuperDuper to do the backup as an alternative versus some others because:

1. Can still use the machine without any significant lag on the machine --> using way less resources

2. Has been running for 5 days and is about 1/4 of the way through.

3. Machine is maintaining a normal temp

4. Free

It's working which is a plus. I tested in on a macbook and a pro and it didn't take more than 4 hours. The specs are better on those ones, but even then I think this speed for this 2007 is just wacko slow. The wierd thing is that it is SO SLOW! I am talking less than 1 MB/s. It leveled out at 0.04 MB/s. ?!?!?

Here are the specs for the computer (middle):

http://support.apple.com/kb/SP12

This is the external drive (80% sure, cannot double check model # at the moment):

http://www.wdc.com/global/products/specs/?driveID=723&language=1

It has a 2.0 USB Cable + port on the machine. The drive is plugged directly into the machine. It does have the other USB ports filled, one of which as a usb hub on connected. Can anybody provide some help as to what the issue to such slow transfer speed is?

There is a firewire on the machine so I was thinking maybe I could just get a firewire-usb cable but I don't know if that would work or if they make what I am envisioning or if that would even improve the speed.

I could just buy a firewire backup drive but I honestly don't have the cash to be spending on that when I have one that I feel should be able to work. I will be trying is with a WD passport that has been a champ on the 18+ machines I have used it on, some older than this, to see what happens. However, that is not really a solution because it's just a loner to help me solve this conundrum.

Any ideas? Let me know if you need anyh other info!

Thanks in advanced!