Thoughts on Guido's ITC audio interview

[Tony Meyer]

> "Java" as a term means different things to different people, 

Agreed.  Python is similar in this respect - it's common to refer to cPython
here as Python, for example.

> but I expect most would think of the core language and its 
> standard library first and the JRE/JVM second. So saying "the 
> problem of X is Java" when you really mean "the problem of X 
> in platform Y is Sun's JVM in Y" is kinda misleading.

Obviously I wouldn't agree :)  The discussion here is about Java from a
user's POV, not a programmer (because we are using a Java application to
program in Python), and from the user's POV, the JRE/JVM is what is
important, not the language.  Much the same as a programmer who is using an
IDE written in Python to program in some other language would really only
care about how the Python VM performs.

> Disclaimer: I am neither Java's not Eclipse's advocate; I'll 
> choose python over Java any day, but let's put the blame 
> where it is due.

If there isn't a good VM for the OS that the vast majority of computers use,
then the language has a problem, IMO.  Having a great language spec is one
thing, but it's not really much use without a good implementation.

It would be interesting to know which JRE the Eclipse advocates are using,
and which the people that dislike Eclipse are using...

=Tony.Meyer