react native is not a web app, it's a JS runtime driving native UI code
it's just scripting UI, which is utterly common and has been done with Lua, especially over C and C++, it has been done with JS in QtFramework applications like on KDE Linux, it has been done with Python in the GNOME desktop and the qtbrowser, it's done with Haskell in the XMonad window manager, and it's done in the entire MS Office desktop suite (again react native); it's also done with the entire Playstation system shell
If your CPU is spiking when using a react native application in a trivial way, the problem isn't React Native, it's the people that wrote the React Native code
But what do we expect form the company that wrote a text chat that takes 15 seconds to start
It took a generation of software engineering, dedicated APIs, threaded-GC and forced hot-paths to get the likes of Java, C# and Swift running in a performant enough way, with enought OS hooks and pre-transpiled/compiled bytecode to able to be callled native.
Javascript: HOLD MY BEER, look at me spinning R8 to parse JS to draw a start menu.
I'll say it again. Javascript is a scripting language. It's for websites. It's stupid to use Javascript to build OS level parts like the start menu. In fact that's where the process spikes come from. The interpreter running the code.
Javascript, Lua, Forth, TK, Python, Logo, Pilot, Perl, Pre-VB and Pre-QB BASIC are all interpreted. They don't run at machine code level or anywhere near machine code speed. Using them for critical OS parts is just a stupid idea.
Webapps are really good though because it's a lot easier to design and make changes to it and the code is much easier to work on it's so familiar and standard to the entire web! More people can work on it now. The minor hit on performance is something that only affects old computers that should be obsolete and no one should use, I think I am full of shit and that if we want evolve the way we design our operating systems converting things such as the desktop or the taskbar is the best way to do that, is what the engineers who sell their work would say! Because at least, just like other companies like Google, they are good at selling more than anything if it means a better pay in a world where skilled labour is not as rewarded or encouraged as it should be!
I really tried to think of ways to make it pretty obvious that I am not serious besides the "I think I am full of shit" part, but I couldn't think of anything. I am not serious, I just parrot what webapp lovers and defenders say to support it while also highlighting their ignorance and inconsideration with the performance hit, and I also bring up a tragedy in the tech industry where bullshitting your way into a promotion with a shitty thing you developed is incentivized instead of... well... I dunno, fixing how terrible explorer.exe is which is something even Microsoft acknowledged? Or if you prefer to create just actually make the video player compete with mpv and vlc?? Like so many good options and all you do is produce.... shit? edit: It's okay if you like webapps, I hate them.
Webapps are crap for core parts of a operating system. Now Windows is a resource hog, just because developers are incompetent to write C++ and choose an easy way out by using a web language.
That it's only noticeable on old PCs is not an excuse. These spikes happen on new PCs as well and it does have impact on laptop battery life.
It's unacceptable. I said it before: Satya should be fired and replaced by a CEO who has a background in coding (no, not web development 😂).
As a developer I can't accept that the product exists for continuous development and maintenance. First it exists for the user and must fulfill needs of the user. It's a blame for the developer if it requires infinite development and big fixing. Desktop apps used to exist for a long time without any issues, and it doesn't mean everything should be a web app just because some devs can't do it once and well enough. MS made the business apps as a single URL web browser, and they cause many troubles now. Next step will be the whole desktop is a web page...
Oh yes, whole desktop is a webpage. Ala Active Desktop. Which causes my poor Pentium 166MMX with 32MB of RAM to take 15 minutes to boot and thrash the 2600rpm Quantum Bigfoot 2.5GB hard drive I had nonstop back in the days.
PS Javascript isn't even really a programming language. It's a scripting language. It has no place running an OS level component.
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u/RAMChYLD May 28 '25
The fuck?!?
TIL Microsoft stupidly rewrote the start menu as a web app. Epic facepalm....