Hey,
Blitz Basic is fine and all.
does he want to make games or just programs?
BB is good for games...
C/C++is good for everything else 
Blitz Basic is cool, but its just a game engine and tools associated with it. You can create far more powerful things with the knowledge of the underlying application and knowledge of C/C++.
Of course, if you just want to make games, you can use it. Using the open sourced Quake Engines is a better deal, though.
JAVA-i havent tried java yet...
- my friend told me that it would take many pages of code for a simple program...
I'd ask for your friend funds back and invest in a more knowledgable Java programming friend. Compared to other languages, Java requires less code for a given a output. Assembly the most, C/C++ right after, etc.
Of course, it'll take many pages of code to make something like Blitz3D, but you're building it from the ground up. It's like building your own house or paying someone else to make it.
In Java, a simple card game like Solitaire is a couple hours worth of work while building a 2D side scrolling engine might be a week or two's worth, for example.
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