Question: Access For Smaller Projects in .NET?

So I have been able to find a lot of information about using SQL Express with .NET applications but I have been unable to find anything about what has happened with Access in .NET applications.  When I started learning VB5 or 6 the only example they had were using an Access file (did MSSQL even exist then?).  I know that we are supposed to use MS SQL but does this mean that I have to have a user install SQL Express if I want to have an application store information in a database?  This seems like it should be explained/documented somewhere but all I can see is that MS wants people to use a MSSQL server instead of lots and lots of Access databases (this I understand in a large organization).  Also, where does this leave people who have Windows Desktops but Linux servers running MySQL?  I wish I had more answers than questions but I was thinking of this while I was at the book store looking at VB books.