VB.net or whatever you want to call it is no doubt the next generation, but VB6 is still around and is very robust.I do quite a bit of work with it and I find it has very few shortcomings for what I do. Programs compile and run seamlessly on all versions of Windows from 98 to XP pro, NT and 2000, Have not tried it on 64 bit Windows as of yet.

If you can get VB6 for a reasonable price I wouldn't hesitate to get started with it. Make sure you patch it with the latest service pack (6).