Delphi/C++ Builder vs .NET and C#

Lately I was looking for a nice GUI front-end for MySql and also for Sqlite. MySql now comes with several GUI Tools, including MySql Query Browser which is supposed to do exactly what I need - except, that it doesn't.
Some features simply aren't just there - what about clicking in data cell to edit its value? Too advanced to be required from a application being developed for at least two years or even more? And I was thinking that Database GUI editors were all about editing data.

Than I tried the open source HediSql. It is truly awesome! Given the enormous competition in the field, and official GUI from MySql itself these guyes just rock!
It gives you everything that you need; it is fast, responsible and nice to work with. Keep up the good work! What about Sqlite support?

It was clear that it is native application - it just worked too smooth and had too small memory footprint to be developed with .NET.
A wanted to look at the source and to my surprise it wasn't in C++, it was Delphi!
That really got me thinking - some of the best software products, that I have used - BSPlayer, Skype, HeidiSql, TestComplete- just to name a few, aren't developed in a mainstream language like C++ or C#, but in Deplhi. I even was told, that the initial version of the eBay ISAPI was also developed in Delphi.
But there is more - a lot of bussines applications, that really make a lot of money for their developers are also developed also in Delphi.

We had a presentation at work from a partner software company, which product works with ours. He talked all day long and he could show us just a small part the application features. It was really good and he developed it all by himself. Guess what development platform he is using - Delphi.

Well I don't know why Microsoft can't pull this off with all the billions they are putting in to their development platform. .NET is really good, I love developing software with it, but I hate using .NET products, because they are slow. Not too slow if the developers did a good job, but a lot slower than anything native.

I know that there is no market for Delphi developers and I know that Java and .NET jobs are all around the place, but Delphi and C++ Builder are better for developing user software.

So if you are looking for career opportunities - go .NET or J2EE. But if you want to develop a software product and sell it successfully - Deplhi and C++ Builder are the way to go.

I wish I had the courage to use this platform way myself.