>MS has always been afraid that pushing FP and VFP would erode marketshare for their VB franchise.

That is no longer true, AFAIK.

>Anyone who believes, (despite what MS says) that they (MS)are firmly committed to increasing VFPs marketshare regardless of it's impact on VB - is NUTZ.

True. But they are committed to increasing VFP marketshare in it's niche. MS will never push any tool into competition with VB and it would be foolish for them to do so.

>They are pushing VFP just hard enough to satisfy the VFP community but well short of what it would take to broaden it's usage, or increase it's mindshare. MS should see to it that kids coming along see VFP as a contender, a viable alternative (spare me the Visual Studio everybody works together song and dance) to VB that is superior in many ways.

Why? Kids can learn VB in a few days, but VFP? I remember reading about VFPs "easy, 5 year learning curve". I think MS has made some great strides in the past year promoting VFP, hell, there was a VFP ad in Visual Basic Programmer's Journal last year (!)

Look at it this way: Just get ready when the mass defections from VB and Powerbuilder start.....