> I have 4GB of RAM in my $DAYJOB machine, running 64bit Ubuntu, and after I load Eclipse 4.2 with a few projects open
I think the main problem is that having 4GB for a workstation is really low (specially for today's standards). Specially reading all the stuff that you put in.
I can imagine your day-to-day computer work should be unbearable. Are you based in the USA? I know that over there you can get 8GB for about $60, which for a company that is paying you $3000 monthly is peanuts.
Oh, I already have the 2nd 4GB chip in my possession, I've just been to busy to install it. And maybe this is one place where my age is showing, but... 4 freaking GB of RAM, IMO, ought to be enough, not, as they say "for anybody", but enough to run an IDE, one app server instance, a couple of browser windows and a handful of smaller tools.
Then again, part of it is being on a laptop that doesn't have an SSD which makes swap painfully slow. But still, Eclipse takes too much freaking RAM for what it does, IMO.
All of that said, the next laptop I buy for myself is going to have an SSD and as much RAM as I can possibly afford.
I think the main problem is that having 4GB for a workstation is really low (specially for today's standards). Specially reading all the stuff that you put in.
I can imagine your day-to-day computer work should be unbearable. Are you based in the USA? I know that over there you can get 8GB for about $60, which for a company that is paying you $3000 monthly is peanuts.