I'd definately choose Java. Java is platform independent like Perl. It is also a very powerful language with many applications. Java programming skills are highly sought after by many in todays market since you can do anything from simple desktop applications to enterprise web-based applications and web services. All those applications can also be completely portable from one OS to the next. Take a look at Monster.com's search agents and you'll see that Java programmers (J2EE, JavaBeans, etc) are not lacking in opportunities.