While a variable font does reduce the byte count when using more than 2 weights, the biggest savings come from downloading a single file rather than multiple wi

While a variable font does reduce the byte count when using more than 2 weights, the biggest savings come from downloading a single file rather than multiple with all the round-trip delays involved. That could have been accomplished much easier. The biggest holdup on variable fonts is that they're simply a lot harder to design than regular fonts. The lack of usable examples will hold back the technology more than anything else.