Compiler thats compatible with the book?
I suggest gettin Sun's JDK in
Java Technology, and if u wish to use an IDE, u could download the bundle that have a netbeans inside from there too, theyr all free
If u want another IDE besides NetBeans, u could try Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, or JCreator, theyre one of the most common in the net
Though, personally, i personally recommend using a command prompt and a text editor for learning the basics
U could view the Java IDE's thread in this forum
Feel free to look at what others here think bout IDE's choice in this thread too
Notepad or IDE?
Welcome to JAVA