Can C# replace java in CS1 and CS2?

Microsoft has developed a language called C# ("see sharp") that it claims will allow programmers to "quickly and easily build solutions" for its new.NET platform [3]. The language has much in common with Java, particularly in those features emphasized in CS1 and CS2 courses. It also includes some of the desirable features of C++ that are missing from Java as well as some new features not available in either language. This paper explores the pros and cons of teaching CS1 and CS2 using C# instead of Java and concludes with a discussion of the author's plans for teaching such a course in the fall of 2002.