Does this mean that ADO.NET is being dropped by most developers?

I've used VB with ASP.NET a bit and used a SQLAdapter control which really made life easy. However, I am using Windows Forms in my C# class (not WPF yet). The instructor's book, which she and her sister wrote only uses WinForms; they briefly touch WPF in their book. Anyway, so what should be used with a Windows Form (just bear with me) to access and modify data? I am referring specifically to SQL Server, not MS Access.

Cecil

>>You know, I guess I was spoiled with Visual FoxPro; it seems that Microsoft (and earlier with Fox Software) took such a simple approach to handling data that I cannot now understand how it is that this can be made so complex in .NET.
>>
>>Yes, I am complaining.
>>
>>I am pouring through C# books, and all kinds of other books, and I am telling you, there is no simple way to do data in .NET. Of course, admittedly, I am speaking from inexperience with .NET. I am still trying to learn C#, much less how to handle data. Still, data handling, in my opinion, is a much more complex matter in .NET. Why does it have to be this way? It seems that there is a multitude of ways to handle data, using LINQ, ADO.NET, and so on. I just don't know where to begin. I just ordered Murach's ADO.NET 3.5 with C# book to see if this might help me a bit.
>>
>>Also, a few years ago when I got into C# in some local colleges, C# also seemed cryptic to me, but it now seems much easier. I guess it is a matter of time and experience. I don't think it is this way entirely with .NET data handling. There seem to be many more steps to handling data, unlike VFP and other xBased languages.
>>
>>Okay, I am finished with my complaining for now. :)
>>
>>Does anyone want to help me complain, or perhaps direct me to a simple tutorial on .NET data-handling?
>
>>Has anyone else on Universal Thread here felt just as frustrated as I am feeling, or did y'all get over it 3 or 4 years ago while I was still making money with VFP?

>Anything new seems overwhelming at first, but in .Net, you can handle the data many ways depending on what it is you are trying to do. I just attended a data access firestarter locally here in philly this weekend where they covered LinQ, LinQToSQL, WCF Data services, WCF Ria Services, oData, the entity framework and azure data access.

>If you want to learn data access strategies and you are using a backend database without webservices, then entityframework or LinQToSQL should be your target. If your data is remote or you require webservices, then you need to look at WCF Data/Ria services and oData for you webservices.

>There are many links on the microsoft site for these technologies. Just do a quick Bing search and you'll find tons of webcasts, how to, etc. However, in my opinion, forget ADO.Net. It's a relic of 7 or 8 years. The newest technologies surpass its capabilities.