IDE recommendations

Hi, I'm currently busy with my first Java course. I'm stuck with a crappy IDE called Textpad. A friend recommended Netbeans.
Is Netbeans a good free IDE for a beginner to mid level programmer?
Would anyone recommend another free IDE?
I have a little experience in VB and found the built in IDE extremely easy to master. Are there any Java IDE's that work on the same principles, or is VB just too simple a language to compare?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BiteMuncher

Hi, I'm currently busy with my first Java course. I'm stuck with a crappy IDE called Textpad. A friend recommended Netbeans.
Is Netbeans a good free IDE for a beginner to mid level programmer?
Would anyone recommend another free IDE?
I have a little experience in VB and found the built in IDE extremely easy to master. Are there any Java IDE's that work on the same principles, or is VB just too simple a language to compare?

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Read the first thread in this group for a discussion on IDEs used. People give their opinion on their favorite or most hated IDE but as everyone could or should know Eclipse is the one you should use: it is extremely good and if you don't read the user's manual you start to hate it in no time ;-)

kind regards,

Jos