Do people actually compile Java to native code? I knew Java compilers existed, but I didn't think anyone actually used them for anything but edge-cases.
The feature is there mostly for geeks who get off on numbers and specs. Typically, they wear thick glasses, are underweight, have no spouses or girlfriends.. and live in their moms' basements. Most also voted for Obama.
Check out JIT compilation. It happens on the fly. As far as making a standalone executable, that seems to miss the point of Java in the first place.