What’s Up with Java’s High Memory Usage?

Java's garbage collector can be quite heavy on memory since it tracks a lot of metadata, which increases memory consumption. Unlike some languages, Java only allocates stack space for primitive types, so objects go to the heap, which could linger until the garbage collector runs. You might want to play with options like `-Xmx` to limit the maximum heap size, although you'll have to manage performance versus memory trade-offs.

Considering RAM prices these days, it’s not as big of an issue as it used to be. However, Java's memory needs can be tricky, especially in more constrained environments. It's set up to leverage any available memory for max performance, but that can lead to inefficiencies compared to languages like Go, which may have more straightforward memory management.

The high memory use you're seeing could be due to the way the JVM handles memory. It usually reserves a lot upfront, even if your application doesn't need it right away. You can tweak the minimum heap size with the `-Xms` option to better manage that. It might also be affected by garbage collection settings—sometimes the JVM doesn't clean up memory if it thinks there's no load to warrant it.

Java's memory footprint is historically bigger because of various factors like the JVM's code cache, metaspace for class metadata, and how Java handles garbage collection. While it does use a lot of memory, this has also contributed to its performance. If you're looking for lower memory usage, consider exploring GraalVM; it’s designed to optimize that kind of stuff.