What is Java?

Java is a language developed by Sun Microsystems which allows World Wide Web pages to contain code that is executed on the browser. Because Java is based on a single "virtual machine" that all implementations of java emulate, it is possible for Java programs to run on any system which has a version of Java. It is also possible for the "virtual machine" emulator to make sure that Java programs downloaded through the web do not attempt to do unauthorized things.

Actually, Java can be used in the absence of the web, but the application that has sparked so much interest in Java is HotJava, a web browser written in the Java language. You can learn more about Java and HotJava from Sun's HotJava home page