Point well taken, but I think it can be both: 1. More value used to be placed on efficiency. 2. As time went on, the value of powerful, cross-platform tools a

Point well taken, but I think it can be both: 1. More value used to be placed on efficiency. 2. As time went on, the value of powerful, cross-platform tools and platforms became more obvious. 3. Since this was later in the evolution of the industry, the people who made it happen were a different generation that didn't prioritize efficiency. That is to say, perhaps there's no fundamental reason you couldn't have the nirvana of efficiency and portability (best of both worlds), and it's just that no community of developers has actually aimed for that.