Java or C++ for beginner/starting?

I just started a beginning programming class and the instructor told us that the computer science department chose for us to learn C++ as a beginning language because it makes one more marketable in the industry. In particular, he felt that learning C++ was more important than learning Java. I think he said Java was heading towards eventually being obsolete but I may have gotten that mixed up with some other language he was talking about. The instructor first started us out using Visual C++ but now he has the PC users using Putty. The following tutorial was for the first day of class in using Visual C++ (http://youtube/o2nZlBnCzFI). If you are using a PC, you can download a free version of Visual C++ (a href="http://www.microsoft.com/express/Windows/)" rel="nofollow"http://www.microsoft.com/express/Windows…/a and try the tutorial out yourself. If you have an Apple, you can use Codeblocks C++ (a href="http://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/26)" rel="nofollow"http://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/26)/a but you'll have to find another tutorial (maybe also on youtube).