Search User Profiles without MySites

We upgraded from 2007 to 2010 last year. In 2010 we did not set up a MySite web app or top level site collection. We did set up the User Profile Service and the profiles are syncing data from AD correctly. I have two issues that I would like help resolving. First, I would like to set up a search where we can search for people and get their profile information. I want to use this like a company directory. I don't want to use the site collection user list, I want the profile information instead because the site collection user list does not contain all of our users. If I don't have MySite, what do I set the crawl to?  Where are the profiles stored?

Second, in a site collection, when we click on the name of the user under "created by" or "modified by", we get a page not found.  I'm not sure if that is supposed to link to the profile (which I think is person.aspx) or the site collection user (userdisp.aspx). 

Are both of these issues caused by not having a MySite application set up?  Is there anyway to have and use profiles without having them in the MySite app and site collection?  I would like users to be able to modify their profile and we'd like to search them.  I'd also like those links under created/modified by to link to something.  I've read about 50 articles and books and can't find a definitive answer on needing/not needing MySite. Any help is much appreciated.

Milissa Hartwell