Tom,
SNIP
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>We all know successful companies make business plans and Microsoft has chosen .NET as a core business. When a division or product does not do well within a corporation it is often sold off or dissolved. There must be someone at Microsoft that likes VFP or it would have been gone a long time ago.

First, I don't see that as the issue in this thread.
Commenting on your statement... I don't think that VFP is alive only because someone in MS likes it.
1) Steve Ballmer recently acknowledged that small/medium business is (now) recognized as MS' largest customer base. VFP's playground, in essence.
2) No healthy company, and especially one regularly before the courts regarding monopolistic practises, can afford the public outcry that would result from the elimination of a widely used product.
3) VFP remains an excellent product for businesses (the majority at present) that do not need/want SQL Server or .NET at this time.
4) VFP is a legitimate hedge against an extended .NET conversion/implementation time frame.

cheers

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>Tom