>The .net holds promise for the largest enterprise application builders, like siebel, where they already use VB / c++ to develop applications. They way I look at it, is it will be, the way that MS works out how to move to the enterprise level applications.. Some exist now, and MS is looking to get a larger share of that market the .net is how they intend to attack it.

Word has it that by 2002, the number of Java developers will exceed C++ developers.

Sun has now released a (free) 3D Java that uses either OpenGL or DirectX ... which should provide an interesting alternative for game developers (where most of the current innovation and youth is coming from).

Oracle also an interesting Java suite that appears to be "free".

.NET ...... I'm still wondering: What for ?

I think MS will have to "give" .NET away for it to make any impact.