Walls!

[Numsgil]

That's probably very true.  I won't even pretend I'm an impartial observer.

[PurpleYouko]

I don't think anybody is an impartial observer.

Loads of people choose OpenGL simply because it isn't controlled/owned by microsoft.
Stand alone OpenGL is much more portable to other systems like mac but it requires that different hardware devices be addressed in different ways.
Within VB that isn't an advantage since VB doesn't run on macs any too well anyway.

[Ulciscor]

I admit that for some reason I have a tendency to choose non-microsoft when possible. Even when it is easier or better than the other options.