>There are also a lot of things that cannot be done with .NET and a lot of markets where .NET is unsuitable.

I have not a large experience in .NET, but since now the only thing I have found that cannot be done in .NET is macro substitution.
I think the others *can* be done. In a different way, spending different amuont of time, but they can be done.
If you refer to the "data management", have you looked this?

http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dv_raddata/html/3d50d68f-5f44-4915-842f-6d42fce793f1.asp

TableAdapters, Drag&drop fields onto forms, ecc: for me this is VFP.NET.....
I love this stuff in VFP, now I have to hate just becouse they are in VB.NET?

Franco