Actually, I wouldn't mind it that much if it was as you described.
I believe that a web-based UI would still be slower than a native application, if only because of the huge number of abstractions in-between, but I'd say it's something that can be overcome by (a) newer hardware, (b) better development i.e. careful profiling and optimization, (c) advancements made by the browser engine developers, and (most likely) a combination of all three.
There's also the issue with the Web as a platform, but honestly, it's not as bad as purists on HN make it. No technology is perfect. I used to be a very loud opponent of using Web technologies for applications, but I realize that ship's pretty much sailed, and we could have had a much worse outcome than this.
My main gripe with Electron has always been the inability to share resources between instances. If firing up Slack or VSCode would have the same net impact on my memory use as opening a new Chrome tab, I'd gladly run them and quit complaining.
I believe that a web-based UI would still be slower than a native application, if only because of the huge number of abstractions in-between, but I'd say it's something that can be overcome by (a) newer hardware, (b) better development i.e. careful profiling and optimization, (c) advancements made by the browser engine developers, and (most likely) a combination of all three.
There's also the issue with the Web as a platform, but honestly, it's not as bad as purists on HN make it. No technology is perfect. I used to be a very loud opponent of using Web technologies for applications, but I realize that ship's pretty much sailed, and we could have had a much worse outcome than this.
My main gripe with Electron has always been the inability to share resources between instances. If firing up Slack or VSCode would have the same net impact on my memory use as opening a new Chrome tab, I'd gladly run them and quit complaining.