If Java is the answer, what was the question?

Within a very few short years, Java, Java Beans, and everything to do with Java will be pervasive. Java's adoption curve will rival just about everything else in Silicon Valley for living in real time. The technology will burn brightly for a time and then burn itself out. Before that happens, though, Java will be as common as a household mop. Product hype is as much a part of the computer industry as celebrity is an essential part of Hollywood. Excellence often falls victim to PR. In the case of Java, it is particularly difficult to separate the PR from the reality. So your first question might be, is Java really an improvement? Simply put, no. If today's languages are inadequate for today's software engineering challenges, then Java must be inadequate, too. Remember, most of Java is warmed-over C/C++. In spite of its celebrity status, Java lacks many of the features needed to improve the dismal science of software engineering, just like its predecessors. How so, you ask! The author presents an analysis-with a minimum of hype-on the pros and cons of Java.