[amock]

Why couldn't it replace Java? From reading about it and my limited use of it I get the impression that it's meant to be able to replace C or C++ but it's also meant to be used to write applications as a replacement for a language like Java. The libraries and API stability are lacking, but I don't see any language issues that would make it a bad application language.

[enneff]

You're quite right. I think Go will make a great applications language. It's just a matter of library support, which is nascent but rapidly improving.

[rch]

I'd say that you should take your time with interop, and practice isolationism for as long as possible. I don't mind waiting for Go to evolve naturally.

[zmmmmm]

Java still has a few killer features that Go doesn't. Primarily, running in a VM and "interpreting" byte code means you can ship a single binary to every platform. Go requires you to compile a separate executable for every platform.

[amock]

Having to run in a VM is also seen as a drawback by some people, including me. The VM startup time makes using command line tools written in Java painful and Java apps often feel awkward on every platform since they don't use any platform specific features. So even though having a single binary work across all platforms is a killer feature for some people it's yet another disadvantage of java for others.