Java tools are often for-enterprise, and the best of them are often for-purchase.
Tweaking a Java library is huge PITA, because Java is soooo code-heavy. I estimate Java leads to ~10x as many lines of code when compared to Ruby or Python for basic libraries like API clients. The IDE-reliance inherent in that culture removes many of the immediate incentives of code minimalism, and as such, you often find insanely convoluted libraries that literally have more classes than pieces of functionality.
Java's great if you're not in a hurry, or if your organization is infected with enough bureaucracy that the added bureaucracy in the code won't even make a dent in your already-dismal efficiency, or if you need to "get fat" (i.e. "hire a bunch of college grads and burn them out") and you don't mind dropping your talent density to near-zero figures.
With all talent being equal, give me a Python or Ruby shop over a Java shop any day, and I'm certain they will be significantly more productive, day in and day out.
Without getting all programming language religious on you, I have to disagree with you. Most Java tools are open-source, e.g. Eclipse IDE, JBoss application server, Tomcat app server, etc, all market leaders, or near the top.
We've deployed a reasonable sized startup codebase for our project without paying a dime for tools and libraries.
Plus, we were also able to carry our Java coding skills across into our Android mobile app development.
I think there are pros and cons to most languages.
Tweaking a Java library is huge PITA, because Java is soooo code-heavy. I estimate Java leads to ~10x as many lines of code when compared to Ruby or Python for basic libraries like API clients. The IDE-reliance inherent in that culture removes many of the immediate incentives of code minimalism, and as such, you often find insanely convoluted libraries that literally have more classes than pieces of functionality.
Java's great if you're not in a hurry, or if your organization is infected with enough bureaucracy that the added bureaucracy in the code won't even make a dent in your already-dismal efficiency, or if you need to "get fat" (i.e. "hire a bunch of college grads and burn them out") and you don't mind dropping your talent density to near-zero figures.
With all talent being equal, give me a Python or Ruby shop over a Java shop any day, and I'm certain they will be significantly more productive, day in and day out.