App sizes are out of control • Hacker News Board

Re: App sizes are out of control

#271

Post by MBCook » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:10 PM UTC

s73ver wrote: post #96

laurencei wrote: post #74

The problem is it's not really in Apples interest to get app sizes smaller. Larger apps means you have more "need" to upgrade your phone to the latest version with more space, power, speed etc.

Except they have been working on it, by repackaging apps to strip out unneeded assets. And it is in Apple's interest to have smaller apps, because then people will be able to download more apps. They'll be willing to try more apps, because there will be less of a barrier between seeing the download button and being up and running.

Plus Apple likes shipping lower end/cheaper devices to people who won't buy the high end.

When your low end configuration is hard to use because Facebook takes up 29% of the storage... that's a problem. Customers get mad.

When they can't update Facebook because it wants more space and the device is full and now the user is locked out from their friends... customers get mad.

When updating a handful of apps uses up 70% of their monthly data... users get mad.

And ALL of that effects apple's bottom line.

Re: App sizes are out of control

#272

Post by s73ver » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:10 PM UTC

Azkar wrote: post #167

Apocryphon wrote: post #120

It's pretty rich how these companies are well known for the rigor they apply to interviewing candidates on technical subjects, yet actually drop the ball in production with poor engineering like this. Where does that rigor go after the interviews are done? Are there any examples of well-known apps from large organizations that aren't excessively large in size?

It's hard to move fast and have a well engineered product.

90% of the time, the organizations that say stuff like this just don't have any discipline. You can move plenty fast with a well engineered product.

Re: App sizes are out of control

#273

Post by MBCook » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:11 PM UTC

Krunkel wrote: post #260

pmoriarty wrote: post #25

I remember when apps used to take less than 4k of memory, because 4k was all the RAM in your computer. Then I remember downloading a 3 MB mp3 on my 9600 baud modem and being amazed at how much space was taken up by music that sounded realistic and not like just a bunch of beeps out of speakers that could only make beeps. Then came the old joke about EMACS standing for "Eight Megs and Constantly Swapping". Then I reme…

Right? I just got a new phone that has 128 Gb of internal storage. 334 Mb app? no problem.

When it only has the functionality of a 20Mb app... it's a problem.

When EVERY app does the same thing? It's a problem.

Re: App sizes are out of control

#274

Post by s73ver » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:12 PM UTC

marcosdumay wrote: post #240

vkou wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the customers are the ones who are paying for that inefficiency, not the company. You can bet that those companies' infrastructure is optimized to hell and back.

You know, I'm not currently an Uber customer because their app is too big and I don't have enough spare space on my phone. There were a few times already that I thought about using them, but couldn't install it right at the time.

I have to imagine the vast majority either don't care, or have other reasons for not having the app on there (like the company itself, for one).

Re: App sizes are out of control

#275

Post by bathtub » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:13 PM UTC

There was a time when people used more and more websites because they were fed up with desktop apps. Hopefully we see the same soon again.

Re: App sizes are out of control

#276

Post by Krunkel » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:14 PM UTC

MBCook wrote: post #273

Krunkel wrote: post #260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right? I just got a new phone that has 128 Gb of internal storage. 334 Mb app? no problem.

When it only has the functionality of a 20Mb app... it's a problem. When EVERY app does the same thing? It's a problem.

From that perspective, you have a very valid point.

Re: App sizes are out of control

#277

Post by marcosdumay » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:14 PM UTC

emodendroket wrote: post #252

marcosdumay wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, I'm not currently an Uber customer because their app is too big and I don't have enough spare space on my phone. There were a few times already that I thought about using them, but couldn't install it right at the time.

OK, so that's one. How many people even look? I have no idea what size the applications on my phone are.

I never really looked (not into Uber). I just tried installing it, and it failed due to lack of space... And, well, I can take a cab when I need it.

Re: App sizes are out of control

#278

Post by s73ver » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:17 PM UTC

allannienhuis wrote: post #156

rayiner wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But those websites suck down enormous amounts of data each time they load.

Not if they use caching (whether service worker based or not) aggressively.

If an organization isn't taking the time and effort to make sure their app isn't bloated full of stuff, what makes you think they'll do that?

Re: App sizes are out of control

#279

Post by tomerv » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:17 PM UTC

MBCook wrote: post #269

ehsankia wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious, does anyone have the equivalent app sizes on Android? I'd love to see a comparison, to see if this is more of a platform issue as mentioned in a few comments, or a developer issue. I guess we also should be looking at the actual data transferred rather than the number shown on the store page.

I'm 100% willing to believe this is a universal problem and is just as bad as Android. I'd be FLOORED if Android apps were significantly smaller.

I checked now.

LinkedIn: 20.36MB Facebook: 76.59MB Twitter: 25.71MB

That's about 1/8th the size of those apps on iOS. Those are just the first three apps in use article, I'm sure the rest are about the same.

Re: App sizes are out of control

#280

Post by s73ver » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 9:18 PM UTC

ajross wrote: post #34

Folks: there's a built-in technology on your phone that allows you to load and run an app on-demand over the internet without dedicating any internal storage at all! It allows clean integration with many of the "native" features you expect like camera and notification and timers and stuff. And it's based on completely open standards with multiple, competing open source implementations. No, seriously: uninstall that j…

"It works much better than you think"

It still doesn't work as well as a native app.