Tom questions:
> Is Java's inability to handle heavy loads due to the language
> itself, or is it due to the way it is executed via bytecode
> interpreted/executed by the JVM?

There's nothing wrong with the performance of Java in general.  Even on the
3000, a Java program can be faster than a COBOL program if it wants to be.

Almost all languages are in the "fast enough" category these days which
means that it's how you write the program, not what language it's in, that
determines what the performance will ultimately be.

Someone going from, say, COBOL to Java is also quite likely to try to not
only switch to a new language but also take on Object Design, Event Driven
Programming, Client/Server/Web interface, several assorted pieces of
middleware, and a new RDBMS system all at the same time.

The reasons this project is going to fail have very little to do with the
performance or design of any one component.

Most of the answers to the questions raised in this thread can be found in:

   http://www.perl.com/pub/2000/12/advocacy.html

G.