To be honest, as a language I also dont get it.
Its just another scripting language to me, but the effort does have some nice side effects like Java 6 now has a built in scripting engine so running this or JavaScript in a Java program is now very easy.
I mean Java itself is a pretty neat language in itself, why another one?
Do I really want to struggle with new constructs when there are already things like Matisse for Swing and Netbeans? No!
It makes sense to me on cell phones but I think that strategically they doing it wrong. A while back I got very excited when the CDC Java kit was released, this is almost Java SE for the mobile, hugely capable... BUT there are hardly any devices out there that use it.
So for some reason Cell phone manufacturers are not incorporating more powerful Java technologies... I came to the conclusion that Java is stuck on the cell, and when I see people running things that look like google earth on MS PDA's... it really gets me down. CLDC just aint good enough any more.
I think that Sun should stop messing around, create an open source project that provides the entire system... from "Chip to Java", and give it away.
Make it so that any electronics manufacturer with half a brain cell can make terrific PDA's and CELL phones... because I think cell phone manufactures are screwing Sun. I think JavaFX is trying to fill the gap... for some reason Java is falling behind on the hand held devices.
My feeling forget JavaFX... make another Symbian, and target full Java because hand held electronics will if not already be capable of PC type functionality. One day one will plug their cell into a TV and it will be play-station.... thats the target. Script... nice I guess!
I think a free open source "Chip to Java" project, would be massive.
The message to Cell suppliers... adopt CDC, or DIE!