Java Default Cache Size 1 GB!

Are you kidding me?

By default, your Java install, the one that you installed because you wanted to use an application that it’s developer touted as being cross-platform because it was written in Java sets its Temporary Files Disk Space size at 1,000 MB! That is a whole GIG of data if you are having trouble with the math.

java-temporary-files-setting-graphic

I don’t know runs what, but if the super-duper amazing cross-platform Java applications need their own wasteful cache space on my hard drive in addition to the numerous other cache settings that are already out there, then frankly, I think they are poorly coded and I am not interested in running them on my PC. I’d rather have to get Windows versions of everything, or find an alternate program than have to give up a gig of disk space just to cache whatever is running Java.

Now, most of the web browsers out there set aside an absurd amount of disk space to be used as the cache because they were designed to be set on a percentage basis back in the days when hard disks were smaller. It was actually a nice feature back then, because a hard setting of even 20 MB could have overwhelmed some disks, especially on laptops.

Of course, times have changed. My computer has a couple of hundred gig in there somewhere and 10% of that being set aside as a web cache is ludicrous. I’m willing to give Java the benefit of the doubt here and assume that something similar happened to produce such an asinine number. However, I have reduced the disk space for storing temporary files to 100 MB and if that causes problems, then I’ll just make sure I don’t use any Java apps on my computer.

It is time for application developers to realize that we buy computers with more and more resources so that they will perform faster and better, not so that lazy coding can fill them up with bloated code and hidden start-up processes that try to hid how slowly their programs actually load.

If you don’t hear any further ranting from me, you can assume that the move down to 100 MB of Java cache space worked. If so, I would recommend that you do something similar.

If not, well, you’ll know about it, because I whine like a stuck pig when programs crappy programs run roughshod over my computer, like when Microsoft Office started Initializing Places Bar every time I tried to save a Word or Excel file.

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