JavaOne 2014
It was nice to get back to San Francisco for another JavaOne. This year did not surprise me in any way with announcements but it did feel like a JavaOne filled with energy and enthusiasm. I think getting Java 8 out and accepted was the primary reason but there are other significant ones. First off, being a NetBeans fan, I very much appreciated NetBeans day and sessions throughout the conference in which it was mentioned and utilized. While I have known my way around Eclipse for years (and I have used Intellij), when I tell folks I prefer to use NetBeans I get an occasional strange look or question but that's becoming less so. If you don't know about NetBeans, I suggest downloading and giving it a serious look. If it's the choice of James Gosling and guys who write code for NASA, how can you not check it out? Geertjan Wielenga, the guy I consider the face of NetBeans, was very visible at JavaOne/NetBeans Day this year (as were quite a few others from t...