J,
Using the wizards to get a feel for VFP is a bad idea. I understadn your situation, but the wizards produce really poor code. I might suggest that you try using a contractor with experience in VFP to build you a quick and dirty prototype. That would get you a much better idea of how VFP works.
Every product has bugs and requires work arounds. However, learning how to take advanteage of the strengths of a product is not making work arounds, it is getting the most out of a tool. Slow systems can be built with Delphi too, and Delphi has its share of work arounds that are needed. VFP has the same OO learning curve that Delphi has.
Most of the poor preformance that I have seen in VFP forms is related to the developer not knowing how to build OO forms and doing things the old procedural way.