Well, you could already AOT compile with NGEN, even though it isn't an optimizing compiler and requires dynamic linking.
Or Mono.
But I am with you, when Java and .NET came out, in both cases I thought it was a missing opportunity not having a full set AOT/JIT options similar to other languages.
You could get them, but NGEN required the framework to be present anyway and on Java's case the only good AOT compilers have always been commercial.
So I would remember Turbo Pascal, Delphi, Eiffel and many others with some envy.
Or Mono.
But I am with you, when Java and .NET came out, in both cases I thought it was a missing opportunity not having a full set AOT/JIT options similar to other languages.
You could get them, but NGEN required the framework to be present anyway and on Java's case the only good AOT compilers have always been commercial.
So I would remember Turbo Pascal, Delphi, Eiffel and many others with some envy.