Chapter 1. An Introduction to Java

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• Java as a Programming Platform

• The Java "White Paper" Buzzwords

• Java and the Internet

• A Short History of Java

• Common Misconceptions About Java

The first release of Java in 1996 generated an incredible amount of excitement, not just in the computer press, but in mainstream media such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Business Week. Java has the distinction of being the first and only programming language that had a 10-minute story on National Public Radio. A $100,000,000 venture capital fund was set up solely for products produced by use of a specific computer language. It is rather amusing to revisit those heady times, and we give you a brief history of Java in this chapter.

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