Vinny,
The difference is in the programming tool. VB6 is 8 years old. VB 2008 was released in Nov2007. Any program looking to migrate from an Access Database w/VB6 to SQL Server w/VB6 is asking for trouble!!!
With the .Net Framework 2.0+ you get a fully object-oriented version of VB. This allows the development of much more robust applications. The slowness you describe is specifically because of the Jet Engine. I have a client who has 4 providers...and a needs to be able to access the system externally. An IP addressable db would do the trick.
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." ~ Alvin Toffler
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