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News: JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free

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  1. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free (36 messages)

    As of the aquisition by BEA, the JRockit virtual vachine is available for free! JRockit is a special Java virtual machine that is optimized for building server side applications.

    Get JRockit.
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    Threaded Messages (36)

  2. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Why are they giving it for free?
    Reply to this Reply to original

  3. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    This is an excellent move by BEA.
    Release a fast VM free to the public to help the elimination of the "java is slow" myth and ".NET is so much faster" marketing and - probably - bundling it with WebLogic tweaked to "yazoo".


    Reply to this Reply to original

  4. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    myth?
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  5. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    Yes, "java is slow" is a myth. I only hear it from people who failed to requalify to Java (either from C, VB or PL/SQL) and now look for good justification.

    Java maybe slightly slower, but it is not the point, the time saved by not having to fight with Null pointer exceptions or memory leaks goes looong way. At the modest rate of $500/day of total development cost (developer, equipment, office + overhead) Java will save you more then enough to buy better hardware.

    Most of the perceived slowness comes from complexity that would not be possible without Java. For example, I have recently heard that C programs running under Tuxedo are much faster then EJB on Weblogic. Well, they do not do exactly the same job, it is like making the point that WV Golf hatchback is faster then Volvo tractor trailer ;-).

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  6. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    Completely agree! I have proven even the most experienced C++ programmers that Java can keep up with them. Most of the time, the speed of processing is not the issue, but how the data is gathered, processed, and delivered that makes all the difference.
    Bottom line, it comes down to the programmer doing the job, not the language.

    Paul J
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  7. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    Michael/Paul,

    Do you know of Java vs C++ performance on quantitative applications(Monte Carlo, sparse & dense Matrix solver, initial boundary value for pde etc)? Are there good libraries? We are about to work on how to integrate these traditionally C\C++ app with J2EE. We will start with one SMP box and later(?) move to massive parallel.

    Thank you.

    Peter
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  8. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    Myth? I wouldn't say it's a myth. Many people hear the word java and think of Swing GUIs. And Swing is indeed slow. For them java = slow.

    For server side applications it's a bit different. But once again: compared to compiled languages java is slow. The question should be

    - is if fast enough
    - what do you want to optimize, the performance of the developer or the performance of the software?

    From my point of view java is fast enough. More important it has (the libraries, not the language) to offer so much that I just don't see any alternatives. Although it has to be said, that it's quite easy to f*** up performance with java unless you don't know how to program the language properly.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  9. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    "Myth? I wouldn't say it's a myth. Many people hear the word java and think of Swing GUIs. And Swing is indeed slow. For them java = slow."

    I think Swing used to be slow but several applications have proven otherwise. Have you tried WebLogic WorkShop ? That's just as fast as any other GUI application and I it's using JRE 1.4.

                    Yann
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  10. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    But once again: compared to compiled languages java is slow.


    Read and weep:

    http://www.aceshardware.com/Spades/read.php?article_id=153

    (For those too lazy to read the article, it compares C using various compilers, with Java using IBM and Sun VMs. The answer it comes up with is that there is more difference in your choice of compiler or VM than there is between Java and C).

    Also, given that most commercial programs have to be compiled for the lowest common denominator (386/486?), then a Pentium 4 aware VM can JIT much more heavily optimised code than a compiled program.

    Java performance suffers in only two major areas: Where direct access to heavily optimised hardware APIs is needed (i.e. games and desktop apps), and it that is is easy to be inefficient with memory allocation.

    But the short answer is yes, it is a myth.

    /david
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  11. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    <quote>
    Java performance suffers in only two major areas: Where direct access to heavily optimised hardware APIs is needed (i.e. games and desktop apps), and it that is is easy to be inefficient with memory allocation.
    </quote>
    Thanks david for saying it like it is.
    When writing Server side apps the minimal gain you get in increased productivity outweighs the benifits of increased speed. The bottleneck would mostly be db access and that's nearly a constant whether you use C/C++ or Java.
    An intresting option to the Swing API could be the SWT library that's part of the eclipse environment. Ok it's not from Sun and not all O.S's are supported(as yet) but if it's a better alternative I see no harm in using it. I don't see it as fragmentation of the platform or a loss to the 'purity' of java.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  12. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    Even though the article is a little old now, it is probably a good example of the "C/C++ is faster than Java" everlasting statement I hear every day (once a week let's say). And these tests were made with early releases of JVM 1.3 and yes, IBM was fast. Progress were made in the JVM 1.4 but mostly don't apply to the fields that were tested. The real news is that Java compilers and run-times are getting mature - how surprising! :)). So it's unfair to say that Java is slow on the basis that JVM 1.0 was slow.

    I would almost recommend Java for building desktop applications now. Well... No, not yet! But soon...

                    Yann
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  13. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    "Java maybe slightly slower, but it is not the point, the time saved by not having to fight with Null pointer exceptions or memory leaks goes looong way. "

    Java has no Null pointer exceptions? The memory leak argument for Java is a red herring. Java has a lot of upside but speed is not one of them. Language features is not one either.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  14. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    Sartoris,
     
    <quote>
    Java has no Null pointer exceptions?
    </quote>

    Yes it does but it also provides a graceful way of handling them. When I was a C++ developer I spent hours(sometimes days!!!) debugging mysterious "Segmentation faults" (Basically memory errors : pointers referencing "dodgy" memory, etc...!).

    With java you dont really (all things being equal) have to worry about things like that which is a plus. I am definately more productive now using java that I was in my C++ days. But I do agree that speed (in Swing anyway) is still an issue.

    Smythe
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  15. Merry Christmas everyone :-)[ Go to top ]

    I thought about "Null pointer assignment".
    Reply to this Reply to original

  16. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Any Idea on Solaris version?

    Kumar.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  17. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Any clue what the licensing is.
    -Does it allow free redistibution?
    -Can you bundle it with commercial apps.?
    -Any restrictions on usage?
    Reply to this Reply to original

  18. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    The text of the license says it is for evaluation purposes only.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  19. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    The license says you can try it out for 30 days and after that you must terminate useage unless you fully license JRocket.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  20. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    This is a scam. The site says:

    As of the aquisition, the JRockit Virtual Machine is available for free! Now everyone can benefit from superior Java performance on Intel platforms. Download your copy today!

    Buy if you read the press release it says:

    The free trial license allows for 30 days of testing, benchmarking and production evaluation.

    Does anyone else find the first claim completely unethical?
    Reply to this Reply to original

  21. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Ron and Dain, i am pretty sure that they did not get the time to update the licence/website yet.

    JRockit is now Free, when you request a licence, you get an email with the licence.dat file:

    "Thank you for your interest in JRockit 3.1 for Linux.
    Attached to this letter is an unlimited license."

    However i am agree with you, they should had reviewed properly any thing tied with the old licence to fit with their new offer.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  22. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Does anyone have the licensing terms? What's the general deal with this? It's free, but they have to send you a license? What are their motivates and vision for this product? There does not seem to be a lot of non marketing fluff on their site if you don't register, why I don't want to do unless I know I want to try the product.

    Do people who have tried it noticed a major speed increase?

    -Pete
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  23. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Hi Pete, indeed I'm on the mood to change my JVM/hotspot to JRockIt 'cause I'm at the preproduction phase of my WLS/platform. Next wednesday I'll send a little brief on my test with both platforms (JRockIt and HotSpot)

    Regards, Jesus.

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  24. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    How sweet it is...


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  25. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Do they have any documentation on how to use JRockit?
    Reply to this Reply to original

  26. This is a joke...[ Go to top ]

    I'm waiting for the license e-mail to arrive, however, the license agreement that is included with the JVM when you download it (which is the same as the one you must agree to in order to make the download) contains the following:

    "The Software may NOT be transferred electronically from one computer to another or be used over a network."

    Okay... so I can't use the software as a server... hmmm....

    And then it goes on:

    "not use the Software to provide processing services to third parties, commercial timesharing, rental or sharing arrangements, or on a "service bureau" basis;"

    This pretty much sounds like you can't use it in a production environment...

    And the finale:

    "This Agreement shall become effective on the first date on which the Licensee Uses the Software (the "Effective Date") and expires thirty (30) days thereafter (the "Termination Date")."

    Hmmm... Apparently this isn't "for free". It's just a free *test*. I'm not sure if Appeal or the author of the article is to blame for the confusion. What I can say is, Appeal needs to be a little more forthcoming on their site, and would probably benefit significantly from not being so sly about it. In the end, this can only hurt them.

    sw
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  27. This is a joke...[ Go to top ]

    But then again, the "purchase" button on their website doesn't work anymore and sends you to the download page.

    bye
    -stephan
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  28. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    This is questionable, according to the license agreement:

    The licensee may:

    3.1.1 not sell, lease, rent, loan, license, sublicense, **redistribute**, encumber or otherwise deal with any portion of the Software or Documentation or otherwise permit anyone other than the Licensee either directly or indirectly, for payment or otherwise, to make use
    of or otherwise dispose of the Software or the Documentation; the making of copies of the Software or the Documentation for private use is therefore prohibited;

    Thoughts??
    Reply to this Reply to original

  29. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Rumor has it that the license has been updated and the new license agreement will be in place in the next week or two...
    Reply to this Reply to original

  30. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Definively, not free..
    Reply to this Reply to original

  31. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Just called BEA to have one of their salespeople contact me on this. Will post the results once I hear from them.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  32. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    In their site, it's clear that it's not free. All we can do is download an evaluation form. I'd like, to know, however, for sure.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  33. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Spoke with Cameron Parker (Dallas sales partner) this morning.

    Said there was no cost associated with JRockIt.

    If you want support and maintenance there is a $2000/cpu/year fee. If you are a licensed WebLogic application server customer, this fee is waived. If you don't care about support or maintenance, you do not have to pay.

    If you want to use this in an ISV environment, you would actually have to get your customer to register (no cost) directly. You cannot distribute JRockIt to them directly.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  34. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Thanks for searching by, but... Why the site says "evalution" everywhere...

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  35. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    Am I alone in being slightly annoyed that a company/division called "Appeal" has a blonde babe on the home page with a come-hither look on her face?
    Reply to this Reply to original

  36. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    I think she look cute. Und what does that rocket look like??
    Reply to this Reply to original

  37. JRockit Virtual Machine Now Available for Free[ Go to top ]

    I'm just concerned that I went straight to the link on technical info about Garbage Collectors, and never even noticed her!
    Reply to this Reply to original