My rebuttal..

>In VFP you have numerous commands regarding data manipulation like native SQL support. Within VFP controls can be bound to the data directly. In general it easier to work with data within VFP than in VB using whatever data-engine.
>

In VB, you can bind controls to data, via ADO. I can use native SQL in VB. I think it is easier for you to work in VFP, because that is what you know. The same could be said for a VB guy looking at VFP, when he does not know VFP. To him, VB is easier. As somebody who knows both, I can tell you that a big difference does not exist....

>Within VB they're split up. VB and MSDE You have to include MSDE within your app which has a potential of versions conflicts. Using version A of VB and Version B of MSDE. This can be a problem when running several applications which need MSDE.
>

Ever include an ActiveX Control in any of your VFP apps....???? This is more of a Windows issue than anything else.... Folks use ADO in VFP now, so they have their fair share of DLL hell as well. We always have. It is a matter of understanding and dealing with the beast. We all play in the Windows sandbox, it goes with the territory...

>This is IMO a big difference. To me seeing al these different data access methods (ADO, MSDE, OLE DB, ...) all over the years within VB, I'm glad that I didn't have to worry about that one.
>

MSDE is not a data acccess method. ADO by itself knows nothing.. Rather, ADO sits on top of OLE-DB. Now, if you really knew anything about what goes on in the other sandbox, your list would have been as follows:

ADO/OLE-DB, DAO, RDO, and RDO2......