title: Is Java's Swing really a "memory hog"?
body: <p>I frequently hear that Java's Swing toolkit is considered a "memory hog" (such as <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/467657/pure-lightweight-application-in-java/467706#467706">this answer</a>).</p>
  
  <p>Is this...</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p><strong>A</strong> due to Swing's architecture;</p></li>
  <li><p><strong>B</strong> inherent in Java's memory management; or</p></li>
  <li><p><strong>C</strong> an unfounded claim that stems from a lack of understanding how memory allocation works (e.g. just because the Task Manager says an application has allocated x MB, it does not actually mean that it is actually using all of it)</p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>I'm trying to find a concrete, objective analysis about Swing's true memory requirements as compared to similar GUI toolkits (not necessarily Java).</p>