What is Java and why is it needed?
One issue with computer programming is that if you write a program to operate on one type of CPU architecture it will not function on another. (I.E. x86, SPARC, Itanium) Java was designed to help bridge the gap between the ten of hundreds of different and incompatible computer processors. The idea is that a programmer can write a program or application once in Java and have it run on any type of processor, regardless of compatibility or architectural design. In order to do this, Sun has written a virtual machine application for the given CPU type you use. When you start a Java app it then plugs in to the virtual machine and executes it’s operations. Also worth mentioning is that there are a small number of newer generation processors that were designed from the ground up to support, read, and execute a Java program with out need for a virtual machine. Such processors are very low power and are often implemented in to battery operated portable devices like cellphones, media players, etc
