Even though it took five years for the latest version of Java to reach the release stage, a critical bug was found almost immediately after its release, causing quite a stir within the Java community. The bug relates to a problem with the Java 7 HotSpot compiler which incorrectly optimizes loops. As a result, programs are either hanging up or silently generating incorrect results.
The bug is slated for correction in future Java 7 updates. Until then, developers should be cautious about using Java 7 in production environments.