You're out of date...
As a Java Swing dev of many years, I can confidently say you're talking (mostly) BS about Jsva
Speed?
- Startup has been massively improved with the quickstarter (some update in version 6). Sunacle are doing great stuff modularising Java which will make for more significant gains.
- Runtime speed is and has been for years more than good enough, IMO this claim is rubbish.
User Experience?
- if you mean startup speed then I think that's covered above
- if you mean general usability then that's down to the developers designing rubbish; Swing has any component you like, there's commercial component libraries. You can (and I have) write custom components to do anything. The apps can be skinned, etc
Security? I'm no expert in this area, but java has had it's security model baked in since day one, but I can't be bothered to research it. It's never been an issue.
On the positive
- Massive libraries are available, today, for any area
- 50%+ of webservers run on Java; are they all wrong?
- many investment banks in the City run on Java Swing, and they have quite hard real-time aspects.
- the online MMRPG "Runescape" runs as Java.
Java and Swing is still productive though I admit it's getting long in the tooth. Banks are starting to move to .net.
I am quite excited by Java FX 2, the new Oracle version. Amazing potential including startup times of about s second!
So, in summary, check your facts before trotting out the same tired "arguments".