Java was a success because performance + ease of use compared with the languages then available, on the hardware available. Today, python, ruby etc are fast eno

Java was a success because performance + ease of use compared with the languages then available, on the hardware available. Today, python, ruby etc are fast enough for many tasks. Java was a hit in the enterprise because it had static typing, modules etc and was a complete product (tooling, doc - and stewardship from a big and respected tech company, who was neutral). OO helped, fashion-wise. C# and objective-C are the most similar languages today - but notwithstanding MS very recent moves, both are wedded to a proprietary company. But if Java was introduced today, it would have a difficult fight against Go: Go is similar, and with Google's neutral backing, would have taken Java's role. Or maybe languages which Java displaced: delphi, ada, etc. The realistic answer is: if java hadn't existed, something that met those needs would have been drawn forth by the demand.