I just installed JDK 1.4.2 Beta 1 on my laptop.  1.4.2 Client VM supposedly reduces memory footprint by 25% although I haven't noticed any speed differences.  This version also supports XP Themes although I haven't tried it yet.  What I did notice was that JDK 1.4.2 installs and configures an executable named jusched.exe to run on startup and stay resident.  There was no mention on Sun webpages other than a bug report filed against it for an uninstallation problem.

Apparently, jusched.exe's official name is Java Update Scheduler and is used to check, download, verify, and install Java VM updates on daily, weekly, or monthly based on Java Plug-in Control Panel settings.  Gee, thanks a lot for wasting 2meg+ of memory, without asking me, so I can keep checking for Java VM update daily at 3AM although Java VM updates are months apart.  I wonder whose idiotic and arrogant muck for brain brought this about?

While I am ranting, allow me to raise my middle finger to salute folks at Apple and Real Networks for doing the same with Quicktime and RealPlayer.  Why don't you go sue Microsoft to gain access to Microsoft Update service instead of wasting our RAM space?  Failing at that, start a consortium to consolidate this sort of things.  If every software vendor did the same thing you guys have, I'll have to take a walk around the block everytime I start my PC.  Geesh.