What's the future of Java?

Java Tunnel Vision [@lesscode.org]:

"I've spent exorbitant amounts of time in the past six-seven years doing endless research around Java community, relentlessly chasing the elusive dream of the possibility of developing apps in a simple, straightforward way. I've tried all the latest and the greatest Java hype, followed religiously every Javaworld and The Server Side and Artima article, but only to in the end throw my hands up in the air in utter desperation. After all was said and done, at the end of the day, all I have is an enormously bloated, to the point of bursting at the seams, Eclipse platform. I am currently nursing countless frameworks, plug-ins, SOA and EMF bullshit is coming out of my ears. My 60 GB laptop with 1 GB main memory cannot take it any more."

I feel extremely uncomfortable with this situation. I don’t think we, as a community of Java developers, are standing on the solid, firm ground. I think the ground on which we stand is bound to give in under our feet, sooner or later. This is why I’m trying to defect to the Ruby camp, where life is simpler, the air is fresher, and the movement is truly, not nominally, agile.

There is an interesting book called Beyond Java that I really want to read now.