good stuff, yes. But rather unpleasant in its execution, wouldn't you say??

on the flip side, eventually i have no doubt that standard code will look like Java, or at least look very similar (google the D programming language). i do not believe that an interpreter, framework, or loss of performance (our current afflictions) are necessary to write platform-SPECIFIC, high-performance code. Choices were made in the design of C, those choices were adapted for C++, not remade to suit OOP. we still wait for a standard, efficient, proffesional OOP language. These things take time. We all know that.
To put my opinions in some kind of coherent perspective, here is an orderly list of my current take on the situation:

1. Java syntax and OOP are the future. We SHOULD teach it in high schools and colleges, precisely because if they don't learn OOP cleanly, when the next gen languages hit, they will need to be ready to jump on the bandwagon. Ammendment: They do need a working knowledge of Pointers, etc

2. Java is a wonderful language for apps on consumer machines.... portable machines, cable boxes, and other systems where people are not so angry about waiting and do not want to learn to intall native-chips from SUN in their brand-new gateway. Java was not created to write pretty GUI applications, or at least that is not where it showed the greatest initial promise (Oak). Due to its portability, it is the currently the middle ground between all sorts of OS factions. That is unfortunate... mostly because they don't seem to get along when they are not sharing apps. Most programmers, also, can't seem to realise that Java's accidental incororation into the WWW was as much a new direction as C's sudden conversion to OOP. Neither was perfect, but we all know that C#/C++.net were designed to be run natively (on Windows AKA 99% of the end-user's machines) and JAVA was designed with an open adapter that can be MOLDED to fit Windows, Linux, Sparc, your TiVo,etc.
Common Question: No SUN ahead of time compiler??? Why bother? It's like using a wrench to turn a screw... why haven't they made adapters to do that? Think about it...

3. Clarification: I do not like .NET. I will give j2SE the following: its as prettier than i could have imagined it would be. .NET still feels like what it is... a way to make windows APPS w/o MFC. Sure, I see the extra utils, the extra classes... i also see VStudio .NET being handed out to college kids like candy (here is the future of programming...?) when they should be learning MFC (in C) and what makes a GIF. Reactionary to Java? I'd bet on it. Dirty? No, not at all. If microsoft can win (by virtue of quality), THAT is where my money will go.

Despite my knowledge that neither J2SE nor .NET is a near perfect solution, i have to say that what i see (here comes opinion, heavy dose) is a gross misunderstanding by converts of JAVAs beauty and charm taking the torches to Microsoft, that old bully, who wrote that mean old operating system. They are not your enemy. There is no politics in Programming when I'm behind the keys.

For now i have the confidence in my own knowledge of the tools at my disposal. Java has it's place, and its purpose. So does good old C. To compare them on level ground just doesn't make sense to me... or my boss for that matter...