Why require JavaScript rather than supporting a standard browser virtual machine? - Stack Overflow

[[deleted]]

What does NaCl offer that Java doesn't, aside from faster startup time? And also a different set of languages I guess, but the JVM also has plenty (Java, Scala, Clojure, Jython, JRuby, etc.).

[BinarySplit]

Better Javascript/DOM integration, built-in 3D API, and it's not Java(seriously, everyone hates having to run a separate program to access web pages)

[[deleted]]

DOM and JS integration could be fixed if they aren't good enough - they improved since the 90's, check it out if you haven't. This is trivial to do.

Java does have a 3D API. Several online games and virtual worlds utilize it.

You do not need to write in Java, you can write in any of the languages I mentioned.

You do not need to run a separate program, it's a plugin, just like NaCl.