[wtetzner]

> They are a tool to remove the need to call `free()` at the right time, with the downside that you don't get to control what the GC thinks is a right time instead.

That's not actually true. They also allow you to do things that you otherwise couldn't. Try implementing persistent [1] maps or sets without a GC.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistent_data_structure

[dbaupp]

That's still just a problem of deciding when to call free.

[wtetzner]

Sort of. But you can't statically decide it. In fact, really the only way to do it is with a GC (or ref. counting, etc.). You can't know until runtime when a node will need to be freed.

And my point still stands. The GC allows you to do things you otherwise couldn't.