Leroy,
>Due to some of our code being trace all the way back to FoxBase, I estimate at least 30 to 40 hours just to be able to get a clean compile in version 7.
Still, that sounds like a very high number. I've done recompiles of FPW code (>[1..5]MB] and usually **just** the compile is done in less than a day. Coming from vfp6 I'ld clean up the errors anyhow while staying in 6 to be able to jump into 8.
>1) Increase in run-time performance of applications compiled in version 7 & 8 over version 6?
Depends very much on the present app - some features are actually slower in vfp8 (for instance object creation until a certain threshold is reached) but are much more scalable (the same object creation crawls in vfp6 after a few thousand objects, so if you are very deep into a layered framework AND have many forms with oodles of controls open at the same time, vfp8 will be A LOT faster. But the best test IS the ported app, or showing the app (with showing of the known slow parts!) to somebody who has expirience in perf on both platforms...

>2) Decrease in support and development time using 7 & 8 verses 6?
6SP5 is very stable, 7 (perhaps due to translation string size issues only relevant in german version/runtime) less stable, 8 seems to be stable as well. Development time: depends a lot on how much you work in vfp per day, how often you need intellisense: sometimes it slows me, but on the whole it is nice to have. Just leaving 6 for 7 because of intellisense: I would not do it. Go to 8 for the new classes/elements...

my 0.02 EUR

thomas