John Gruber • 7/4/2026

From the DF Archive: ‘Electron and the Decline of Native Apps’

This article discusses the decline of native desktop applications due to the rise of Electron, a framework that allows web technologies to build desktop apps. The author, John Gruber, references a SwiftOnSecurity tweet criticizing Electron as a 'cancer' on macOS and Windows due to performance drains and resource duplication. He contrasts this with the historical resilience of Mac users who rejected cross-platform apps like Microsoft Word 6.0, arguing that newer Mac users may not care about native app quality. The piece explores the tension between web-based and native development in the tech industry.

0 comments

#performance #native apps #Desktop Apps