Java Features -- It's Simple and Familiar!
Java omits several rarely used, poorly understood and confusing features of C++ including operator overloading, multiple inheritance, pointers and automatic type coercions.
It adds automatic garbage collection which makes dynamic programming easier in Java than in C or C++.
It also adds 'Interface' construct, similar to Objective C concept, which often compensates for the lack of multiple inheritance by allowing method calling syntax to be "inherited".
The resulting language is familiar as it looks like C++ but is simpler and hence easier to program in.
It also results in a much smaller kernel which is suitable for planned Java ports to consumer electronic devices. Base (alpha) interpreter is ~40Kb, libraries and threads add additional 175Kb.