I would add to that list: 3. Higher-order types (Yes, C++ has had this with templates for a while and Java has it with generics, but they bolted it on later,

I would add to that list: 3. Higher-order types (Yes, C++ has had this with templates for a while and Java has it with generics, but they bolted it on later, after the syntax and many essential libraries had been fixed.) 4. Type inference Type inference is a REALLY BIG DEAL to me, because it makes programming in a strongly-typed language much less painful, and with that pain gone, I can better appreciate the compiler using the type system to cover my ass.