>.NET will not be required to use or develop for SQL Server 2005.
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>>Hiring other developers, a decent # of my clients do care what the app is developed in, we use a SQL based backend (either MSDE or SQL Server) so with the next version of SQL Server, guess what, it's .NET based (of course the t-sql will still run), but the backend being .NET/CLR based will give more of an incentive to learning more and more about .NET. Not a biggie, accepting change is an important part of the development world, I'm just at that point that I'm realizing I need to say goodbye to my long time pal, VFP. I'm going kicking and screaming of course and I've been thinking it for about a year and a half now, but the MS position of not marketing, not complaining, no changes, dying on the vine is what has helped propel me to make that change.
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>>But, you're right that VFP is not only not that bad, I think it still kicks butt..


Of course it won't - ODBC/OLE-DB interfaces still work so far, but MS is giving .NET a performance advantage over VFP in accessing SQL 2005 (well, kind of expanding the performance advantage that .NET already has in accessing SQL 2K)