The big problem is that there is much more of a learning curve. The first useful software I wrote used VB6 and winforms. Getting started was easy and intuitive, with a gentle learning curve. With virtually no experience, I was making neat things in hours. Within days I was making full applications. That says something about the power of that platform.
To be truly effective with modern web development took me a year or so. That was after years of professional experience.
At this point I can build web applications faster than I can build desktop software, but it took a huge time investment to reach this point, and I had to build multiple tools to make it possible.
I agree that there's a niche that needs filling. I want all the benefits of modern web development, and I want a learning curve like VB6 with Access.
True! I wonder whether making JS event handler in little textarea boxes would actually help. Select “Even handler for field ‘Name’ on ‘click’”, then program your event. Obviously the end result is a js file, but they user is guided...^W prevented from doing something else than modifying output before submission.
Something like WinForms with SQLite that didn't use Entity Framework would be far better. But really all we want is to get back to VB6 on top of Access. Maybe a few less footguns...