Learning to program

My friend told me that starting with Java is a good idea because it's easy and it works on all platforms. Is this true or should I start with something else?

FREEBASIC
SRSLY

Freebasic is an excellent basic introduction to programming, and it works on windows and x86 linux.  When you get frustrated with it, it's time to move on to C.  *Then* go to Java.