Windows 11's built-in Weather app wastes more than 1 GB of RAM (notebookcheck.net)

Article summary

The built-in Weather app in Windows 11 consumes over 1 GB of RAM, which is significantly more than Apple's native Weather app on macOS. This high memory usage is due to the app being built on Microsoft's WebView2 framework, which runs multiple Chromium-based subprocesses. The app's memory footprint can have a noticeable impact on entry-level systems with limited RAM. The issue has sparked discussion about the efficiency of modern software and the trade-offs between features and resource usage.

Main themes

• Windows 11 Weather app
• Memory usage and efficiency
• Comparison to Apple's Weather app
• Software bloat
• Native vs web-based applications

What commenters say

• A well-designed weather app should not require more than 100 MB of RAM, and the Windows 11 app's high usage is excessive.
• The comparison to older software is unfair, as modern apps have different design languages, UX expectations, and functionality.
• The use of vector icons and SVGs could reduce the app's memory footprint, but rasterization still requires significant memory.
• The app's high memory usage is not justified by its features, and a more efficient implementation is possible.
• The issue is not just about the app itself, but also about the broader problem of software bloat and the assumption of unlimited resources in modern software development.
• Some commenters argue that the app's memory usage is not a significant issue, as it only affects entry-level systems, while others see it as a symptom of a larger problem with modern software development.