Windows 11 apps like Discord, WhatsApp, and Teams now use 1 to 4GB of RAM because they are web apps and the rising RAM prices make it worse.
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  • Brkdncr@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3 months

    This is a trade off. Many of these apps work on osx and Linux because they are browser-based. If they go back to native apps you lose that portability.

    • Feyd@programming.devEnglish
      3 months

      There are plenty of cross platform frameworks and libraries that don’t involve web tech

      • boonhet@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        3 months

        There are, but few of them also work on the web as an alternative to the desktop. Writing one shitty web app and offering Electron wrapped versions of it gets you a webapp, a Windows app, a Linux app and a MacOS app. And you already have web devs on the team because everyone does.

        • fuzzzerd@programming.devEnglish
          3 months

          I hate that you are right. Giving up electron would likely mean less Linux and mac compatibility. It’s a shame, but it’s likely true.

          • boonhet@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            3 months

            For commercial software, definitely. It’d be web and MAYBE Windows unless there’s a Qt nerd spearheading the project or something.

            FOSS is actually better off here IMO, since it’s done by people as passion projects, so there’s no need to pinch pennies by eliminating target platforms. HOWEVER there’d also be more need for the devs to have different platforms to test on.

      • dukemirage@lemmy.worlddeleted by creatorEnglish
        3 months

        There is also the advantage of an army of web devs who can build somewhat functional software for the desktop day one.

    • GreenKnight23@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3 months

      electron was a steaming pile of shit 8 years ago. still is. what’s changed?

      our acceptance of shitty corporate software.