It's VB .net now ... as all the M$ languages are. If you're not up to OO programming and the whole .net framework (asynchronous calls, thread safe, etc etc) then you're going to struggle with the transition from VB6 to VB .net I'm afraid.
As for the .net runtimes, they are part and parcel of most things now (even Silverlight), so you shouldn't have to include a redistributable like you did in the old days. If you want to be sure then stick with .NET 2.0 rather than 3.5, as there are a few that haven't updated to that yet.
If you're ready for the real leap - move over to C# ... it's not got the horsepower of C++, but certainly should do all you want it to do (as it uses the same libraries as VB now) - you just have to get your head around the syntax. One thing I do know is that it is far easier to debug C# than VB, as all declarations are explicit, as are loops, conditions etc - making tracking of flow much easier than following END IF's and the like

Jay
FOG Admin & IT Techincal Consultant

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual Meet 2012 |
1996 2.8TDi LWB |
Comments on my Fronty |
CRAG |
Marshalling----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are 10 kinds of people in this world - those who understand binary, and those who don't
Please let me know if anything I say offends you. I may want to offend you again in the future