Java is still great, but now it's hard to cheer for the underdog. Goliath has just announced it's not a foe. Whether the introduction of these AFC classes will revolutionize and simplify Internet development or is simply good marketing is hard to say. It is not clear how it will enhance Java's popularity. It is a step towards unification, however, and that is a good thing.
Speed is critical for many intranet and Internet applications.
If this speed difference impacts commercial viability, it means a win for Microsoft. Visual Basic is already widely known. Developing ActiveX applications needn't imply the Object Oriented learning curve thing that comes with Java. That and the code for the ActiveX controls will most likely only be available for the Intel x86 processor means hardware trouble for many. An ActiveX control can be doing anything to your machine.