Creating a calendar app with web technologies is a mortal sin.
ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
31–40 of 87 posts
Re: ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
#32Stop trying to make desktop software with web technologies, they are all slower and suckier than their counterparts. I'm not saying it's impossible to make a good native app with web technologies, only that you can _ALWAYS_ make a better one using native tech.
I kinda miss the fact that native apps followed os' UI standards, now every app has a different UI with its own set of quirks.
Re: ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
So I'm sitting here on a linux (KDE) desktop machine with the following apps open: 1. Slack 2. Discord 3. Signal 4. Mullvad VPN 5. Kate 6. 1Password 7. Emacs 8. Chrome 9. Spotify 10. Konsole How many of these wouldn't exist on Linux if they had to be written with native SDKs? Konsole and Kate use QT and are clearly the best UX, but it's not like emacs (gtk) integrates natively in KDE any better than Slack does. Zoom…
All these apps could be written in Qt and would then work on all platforms.
Like Telegram.
Re: ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
So I'm sitting here on a linux (KDE) desktop machine with the following apps open: 1. Slack 2. Discord 3. Signal 4. Mullvad VPN 5. Kate 6. 1Password 7. Emacs 8. Chrome 9. Spotify 10. Konsole How many of these wouldn't exist on Linux if they had to be written with native SDKs? Konsole and Kate use QT and are clearly the best UX, but it's not like emacs (gtk) integrates natively in KDE any better than Slack does. Zoom…
You are correct, but I still feel like we need a better way of making cross-platform desktop applications than just wrapping a webapp into a bunch of bloat. Web technologies were never meant for this and it pains me to see a messaging desktop app clog up 100s of MB of memory
We do need a better setup, but is there any more mature UI platform than HTML+ CSS +JS?
I don't think the concept of wanting to used this advanced interface is wrong, just that the implementation of Electron is bloated - and that web programming culture is far too wasteful because the premise there will only be one important app on the computer.
I have not tried sciter, but making a fast, light Electron alternative is the right way to go. To go with that, I would like to see a new emphasis on fast and light js/css libraries and frameworks that treat desktop as a first class citizen, using light SVGs instead of big raster images, automatically generating stripped down icon packs rather than loading all of fontawesome etc.
That looks like a much more promising way forward than any other UI framework I have seen. The interface with a myriad of languages for actual hardware access and local file/data manipulation are already there for the most part.
Because of this overwhelming benefit in my opinion, it is worth it to go through the development pains to get there as the easiest path to a better dev experience, rather than trying to use some other tech and bring it up to web UI quality and flexibility.
Re: ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
#35I use ToDesktop for Conjure[0], and I love it. Given the nature of Conjure (Habit and Time Tracking), having a desktop app was important to many users, and many now use it instead of the web version (myself included).
As a solo developer, I avoided building a desktop app for months, mainly due to worrying about the maintenance overhead. I built the desktop app within a single day with ToDesktop Builder, and there has been no notable maintenance/overhead since (other than me over-engineering some features/enhancements).
ToDesktop's deployments are super smooth. The API and docs are pleasant to work with, which made integrating Conjure's habit and time tracking through the menu bar, native notifications, and multiple windows fairly straightforward.
I did worry about the performance and resource consumption with Electron-based apps, but the Apple M1/M2 Chips absolved that concern. Most of my users (mainly Mac and Windows) don't seem to mind/care/notice the Electron nature of the app.
Disclaimer: I'm also friends with the founder, he's from the same town as me in Ireland.
Re: ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
#36Stop trying to make desktop software with web technologies, they are all slower and suckier than their counterparts. I'm not saying it's impossible to make a good native app with web technologies, only that you can _ALWAYS_ make a better one using native tech.
So I'm sitting here on a linux (KDE) desktop machine with the following apps open: 1. Slack 2. Discord 3. Signal 4. Mullvad VPN 5. Kate 6. 1Password 7. Emacs 8. Chrome 9. Spotify 10. Konsole How many of these wouldn't exist on Linux if they had to be written with native SDKs? Konsole and Kate use QT and are clearly the best UX, but it's not like emacs (gtk) integrates natively in KDE any better than Slack does. Zoom…
Slightly off topic, bit is Signal a web app? I haven't realized.
Re: ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
#37It looks like a well executed product, but I believe the future is to move towards running in the browser only, rather than browser wrappers for the desktop. For example, isn't just visiting a URL in your browser so much more easy and convenient than having to have an installer? Isn't it nice to use the already-installed browser rather than ship a full browser engine with the app? We put our money where our mouth is…
This is my thought as well, if you want your web app to function as a native app then make it progressive. Perhaps ToDesktop offers us something the PWA does not
Re: ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
#38Oh wow, It's exciting to see this pop up on HN. I'm Dave, founder of ToDesktop. Feel free to reply to this and I'm happy to answer any questions :).
Nice work!
Do you have plans to bring the same low friction deployment to mobile?
Re: ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
#39Stop trying to make desktop software with web technologies, they are all slower and suckier than their counterparts. I'm not saying it's impossible to make a good native app with web technologies, only that you can _ALWAYS_ make a better one using native tech.
So I'm sitting here on a linux (KDE) desktop machine with the following apps open: 1. Slack 2. Discord 3. Signal 4. Mullvad VPN 5. Kate 6. 1Password 7. Emacs 8. Chrome 9. Spotify 10. Konsole How many of these wouldn't exist on Linux if they had to be written with native SDKs? Konsole and Kate use QT and are clearly the best UX, but it's not like emacs (gtk) integrates natively in KDE any better than Slack does. Zoom…
Here is the sad truth for you: they still don't exist. Open these apps in a Chrome tab and you get the same shitty experience. Open them in Firefox (or a WebKit based browser), and you get the same experience, with much less resources used.
Re: ToDesktop – Web app to desktop app in minutes
#40This has been on my radar for a while. It's so impressive. Bundling electron for all platforms can be a real headache. The only issue is, it's hard to commit $99/mo for a solo developer to trial a small app. (I know it's pennies for businesses)
What do you think is a fair price for a solo dev trialling a small app? I'm asking because my firm makes a competitor to ToDesktop (sort of) [1], and this is a question we often get. It's free for open source apps and cheaper than ToDesktop, but the "I just want to trial an idea and not spend any money on it" use case isn't well supported by this pricing model. One possibility is a trial period, but then how long sho…
Sounds to me like "trial" apps skipping the signing process is a good option.
A dev team can click the "Run Untrusted Program" button, and it serves as an incentive to upgrade before distributing.