Software bloat is a problem. But I am not sure this is really an example of that. I would guess that they used a relatively powerful microcontroller because i

Software bloat is a problem. But I am not sure this is really an example of that. I would guess that they used a relatively powerful microcontroller because it was cheaper and easier than implementation using custom or discrete components. And processors have become so ridiculously cheap that it is cheaper to implement features in software than hardware. As a programmer I think that is really exciting. The trend is to use microprocessors for increasingly trivial things. You use that power to implement a UI, or a light bulb, or charger. That is far less important than driving a spac ship. But isn't that true of most things we develop? I agree that the trend towards browser based apps is not always efficient. But the browser does a surprising amount in the background to even out hardware differences. It helps you take advantage of the hardware (like a powerful GPU) without having to worry about specifics. That was never exactly easy in developing a conventional native app on a traditional OS.