1. There are some methods common to all objects, like toString:
How could you have written such code without Object?
2. The Collection Framework (java.util.List, Set, Map, etc...)
rely heavily on Object to allow the defintion of general collections:
The current version of
Java (1.5) compilcates this point with generics,
but the argument can still be made: Having a common base class is
very useful. C++, as you may know, lacks this, and most C++ Frameworks
begin by defining base classes that most their classes derive from,
directly or indirectly...