Most folks that were VB 6 programmers switched over to C# rather than VB.Net (if they switched to .Net at all). If you compare the two languages, the syntax is almost identical between the two and many said it was easier to learn a new language than try to re-think VB syntax.
The real question is, will .Net make it in the long term? I have my doubts. With the emergence of Web 2.0 and Ajax, which is predominated by Java and JS both of which are readily available at little to no cost. It also appears that Vista isn't garnering the attention of the business community as MS hoped. I have read many articles where IT managers are taking a wait-and-see approach to the new OS, which will significantly impact .Net acceptance in the long-term.
The other problem here in the US is the continued outsourcing of IT jobs to India and other countries. And I just read an article in an Australian newspaper that outsourcing is impacting them as well, so it isn't just a US phenomenon. IT majors are declining at a significant rate in many countries, down almost 50% in some universities here, which will also impact the adoption of newish technologies such as .Net. Remember it is new grads taking over programming teams that often times drive the adoption of a new technology; the old hats are just as often content to keep using what they already have.
There is also the question of the spiraling cost of upgrading the corporate technology infrastructure, both in time, expertise and money. Many (maybe most) companies are not using the newest computers and are reluctant to upgrade, and Vista will probably require a major upgrade to the infrastructure. Couple that with the new subscription based licenses that MS now requires and for many companies the ROI is questionable with Vista and .Net. Especially when there are very good FOSS alternatives out there that are free or low cost.
