Obviously native code is faster than a generalized scripting language for the web. Again, it's all about what you're trying to achieve. You can still use those

Obviously native code is faster than a generalized scripting language for the web. Again, it's all about what you're trying to achieve. You can still use those fast native clients, but you can also access your Gmail from any device that has a web browser, which is basically everything. If Gmail is slow today, then obviously Google has lost sight of that point.