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"And also that any language with a virtual machine must be slower than an equivalently intelligent compiled code since it's running on another layer of abstraction that compiled code isn't. "

I think this is not correct. A VM has access to the data that the code is operating on, while an AOT compiler doesn't. It's possible that a VM (eg. JVM) produces faster code than a normal compiler.

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I'm talking about where the code is run. If it's run on a VM it's run on a VM. If it's run on the cpu by JIT-ed code it's not running on a VM.

Edit: But fair I did say "language with a VM" which would include Java JIT-ed or not.

Edit, edit: Modified the original comment to say "code on a VM" not "language with a VM".

Sadly it also has to consider the time it takes to compile code like that - we grumble, but not too loudly, at the time LLVM takes to compile things. If the JVM took that same time whilst running live that wouldn't be acceptable.

Surely this depends entirely on the total runtime of the program. A server-style program which will run for a couple of weeks can accommodate quite a bit of JIT compilation overhead.

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