JavaScript on the Desktop, Fast and Slow
summary
JavaScript on the desktop feels slow because of concrete choices: huge modules parse before any code runs (one dependency drags in a 94,000‑line JSON), lazy requiring or shipping fewer modules fixes that; precompiling with the v8 compile cache cuts cold starts (yarn’s startup drops by a few dozen ms); excessive paint work makes a MacBook Pro hit 30–50% CPU on a single page; microbenchmarks show getElementsByClassName beating querySelector by orders of magnitude; a Windows 95 VM in Electron even runs fine.
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