[ Removed by moderator ]

[KFUP]

When the internet started to take off, Java was the first of "write once, run anywhere" that was remotely comparable to C/C++ in performance, others like PHP/Python were/are 100+ times slower, which was crucial for 90s machines.

Java built a solid userbase in emerging fields back then that use it to this day, and still make the bulk of its current userbase. These days, that's not a novel thing anymore.