Brendan Eich, the creator of JavaScript, has raised concerns regarding the increasing "bloat" of Windows 11 software. In a report by Windows Latest, Eich argues that the shift from native system solutions to web-based interfaces is degrading performance.
The Problem: Web Technologies vs. Native Apps
Modern apps and core Windows components are increasingly built using WebView2 and Electron instead of native code. While Eich acknowledges that web-based applications *can* be efficient, he notes that achieving this requires significant development time—an investment many companies skip in favor of faster, cheaper deployments.
Impact on System Performance
Integrating web technologies into desktop environments often leads to excessive resource consumption. Key examples include:
- Third-Party Apps: Discord, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams.
- Windows Components: The Start Menu and Notification Center.
These applications and system features are notorious for high memory usage, frequently consuming over 1 GB of RAM each. This reliance on web wrappers rather than native optimization is a primary driver of the perceived sluggishness in modern operating systems.
