What is the difference between Eclipse and Netbeans if I want to use only the Java in it?
I recently got a Dell XPS 64-bit Vista for myself. Eclipse doesn't have their 64-bit version, but I've read on forums that they download Eclipse and work with Java 1.5 on the Vista with only some problems. I have Java 1.6 and Netbeans was easily downloadable.
What's the basic/big difference that I'll notice if I shift to Netbeans from Eclipse now?
Answer
What is the difference between Coke and Pepsi?
Ok, it's not really that similar, but a lot of the differences are in qualitative ways. Speaking of Netbeans 6.1 and 6.5:
Netbeans has a very different UI and workflow. There are no perspectives, but toolbars and such will auto appear/hide as needed (i.e. debugging). Build process is different. Managing projects is different.
Netbeans focuses on a smooth, integrated experience sometimes at the expense of features. The Profiler is fully integrated into the editor (context menu's let you quickly manipulate the profiler), but is lacking some featuers of Eclipse profilers.
Netbeans has a tightly integrated JSP/Servlet/JSF development environment. The whole workflow connects together from development, debugging, deployment. This is more of a "feel" than anything else.
Netbeans editor is missing several Eclipse features. Spell check being one prominent one. Quick complete (Ctrl-K, Ctrl-J) is an underused Netbeans feature. Snippets being another (though they have an auto-complete template which fills a different, but similar niche).
Less choice. If you don't like one of the included tools, it's unlikely you will find a good alternative plug-in.
Matisse. Eclipse GUI editors have started to catch up, but they are simply no comparison to Matisse. Superficially, they seem equivalent...
<sarcasm>Your friends will make fun of you.</sarcasm>