J2se 6 Update 14 [VERIFIED]

: The -XX:+UseCompressedOops option was introduced to improve the performance of 64-bit JREs on heaps smaller than 32GB. It allows 64-bit JVMs to use 32-bit references, reducing memory footprint and improving cache efficiency.

: This feature, which helps identify installed software on a system for support purposes, was extended to the Windows platform (having already been available on Solaris and Linux). Why It Mattered J2Se 6 Update 14

: A new optimization ( -XX:+DoEscapeAnalysis ) allowed the compiler to determine if an object is "escaped" (used outside a method). If it isn't, the JVM can allocate the object on the stack instead of the heap, significantly speeding up execution and reducing garbage collection overhead. Why It Mattered : A new optimization (

Update 14 was essentially a "feature backport" release. By including G1 and compressed pointers, Sun gave developers a preview of the performance gains coming in Java 7 while maintaining the stable environment of Java 6. By including G1 and compressed pointers, Sun gave