"with webOS 2.0 Palm is switching to node.js-powered JavaScript background services instead of the Java services currently in use. This means faster, better, and more webbier development for webOS"
Right, V8 is a really well written runtime with some amazing accomplishments in it, I say that because I don't want what I am about to say to detract from that fact.
While it is true that Node.js/V8 is fast and in some areas faster than the JVM, one has to remember that Node.js is a very light framework. You don't have all of the underlining runtime support that you get with the JVM.
They are kind of different philosophies, where the JVM supports a robust runtime (it's all bolted together for you). Node.js/V8 is a very spartan runtime (you bolt on what you want/need). This certainly has an effect on resource utilization and speed.
That bring said, I like runtimes that I can bolt together. I hope WebOS does well under it's new stewardship. We need variety in this space.
So JavaScript/V8 is now faster than Java/JVM?