Hello,
  Java v1.4.2_05.
  I am using the URL and HttpsURLConnection classes in a program. As soon
as the openConnection() method is called, the CPU usage goes to 100%
greatly slowing the functioning of other programs. When the connection
closes, the usage drops back to normal.
  Is this expected? A possible problem in the JVM?
  Is there an alternate, low CPU usage, way of connecting?

Here is the code that pegs the CPU meter (less the exception code):

    URL url;
    String url_str = protocol + "://" + hostname
                     + "/" + prefix + "/" + service;

    // Create new URL and connect
    //
    // Let Sun's JSSE to deal with SSL
    java.security.Security.addProvider(
                new com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Provider());
    System.getProperties().put("java.protocol.handler.pkgs",
        "com.sun.net.ssl.internal.www.protocol");
    url = new URL(url_str);
    HttpsURLConnection connection =
    (HttpsURLConnection) url.openConnection();

    // Setup HTTP POST parameters
    connection.setDoOutput (true);
    connection.setDoInput  (true);
    connection.setUseCaches(true);

    // Get POST data from input StringBuffer containing an XML document
    //
    String queryString = XmlIn.toString();

    // POST data
    //
    System.out.println("...sending request..."); System.out.flush();
    OutputStream out = connection.getOutputStream();
    out.write(queryString.getBytes());
    out.close();

    // get data from URL and return the XML doc as a StringBuffer
    //
    String data = "";
    data = readURLConnection(connection);

    // Data is saved and the function exits here closing the connection.