Electron recently switched to Wayland by default on Linux, bringing dozens of popular desktop apps along with it. Here's what changed and how it affects developers and users.
They are always so heavy and inefficient. I sometimes run complex video encoding/upscaling tasks in the background that push my computer to it’s limits (for hours on end) and you can really get a feel for which applications are badly made. Electron apps always perform worse even if what they are doing is relatively simple.
And there are always weird edge cases with OS integration with Electron apps. Sometimes it’s done well, other times not so much.
I use obsidian extensively, and I love it. It certainly does seem to use WAY more system resources than it should though, and I assume that electron is to blame. It’s a shame they didn’t base it on a different framework.
Perhaps someone who knows more about web development can explain what sort of upsides electron brings with it.
Easier ≠ better. Granted, most amateur-written UIs aren’t that great, but I find anything created specifically for the web is almost always worse. They’re massively bloated, they reinvent wheels all the time (and ship them out while they’re still egg-shaped with off-centre axles), and they don’t adapt well to systems with non-default settings.
As for Java UI coding, well, I did enough of it, back in the day. Tedious, sometimes nitpicky, but far from the worst thing I’ve ever done, codewise.
I think it’s more that Electron apps can be written in javascript, and there are way more javascript developers than any other kind. So you’re naturally going to see a lot more javascript software.
I hate Electron apps with a passion.
They are always so heavy and inefficient. I sometimes run complex video encoding/upscaling tasks in the background that push my computer to it’s limits (for hours on end) and you can really get a feel for which applications are badly made. Electron apps always perform worse even if what they are doing is relatively simple.
And there are always weird edge cases with OS integration with Electron apps. Sometimes it’s done well, other times not so much.
I use obsidian extensively, and I love it. It certainly does seem to use WAY more system resources than it should though, and I assume that electron is to blame. It’s a shame they didn’t base it on a different framework.
Perhaps someone who knows more about web development can explain what sort of upsides electron brings with it.
As an aside for anyone else reading, Trillium Notes is a good open source alternative to Obsidian.
Programs run everywhere from the same codebase.
There are other options for that, though, and I’d rather have Java, with all its issues, any day.
I think it’s more “people who trained only in web development can produce what they fondly think is a desktop application”.
Naah its just that web development is most advanced in terms of ease of use and UI development.
Creating native apps in java or cpp was horrible.
Easier ≠ better. Granted, most amateur-written UIs aren’t that great, but I find anything created specifically for the web is almost always worse. They’re massively bloated, they reinvent wheels all the time (and ship them out while they’re still egg-shaped with off-centre axles), and they don’t adapt well to systems with non-default settings.
As for Java UI coding, well, I did enough of it, back in the day. Tedious, sometimes nitpicky, but far from the worst thing I’ve ever done, codewise.
I think it’s more that Electron apps can be written in javascript, and there are way more javascript developers than any other kind. So you’re naturally going to see a lot more javascript software.
So it is, quite literally, a skill issue.
Well that’s certainly a big plus point.
Not to mention they look dogshit on GNOME. Fonts look so blue try you’re better off gauging your eyes out, it’s less painful.