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Windows 11 Start Menu Revealed as Resource-Heavy React Native App

37 points by fidotron 1y ago

theyknowitsxmas 1y ago
Install OpenShell
benoau 1y ago
Probably vibe-coding and blindly accepting without realizing it introduced a new stack...
msgodel 1y ago
Really incredible how each new version of Windows somehow manages to be a regression from the last version while remaining a usable and popular operating system.
- MonkeyClub 1y ago
  I think the "how" is answered with advances in hardware performance. The consequence is that we have the same (or worse) perceived performance for new (and better) hardware.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
fredoralive 1y ago
Microsoft 1995: No, the taskbar clock can't show seconds as that causes an unacceptable overhead on a 16MHz 386SX with 4MB of RAM. Microsoft 2025: Lets write the start menu in fucking react, who cars about anything like RAM, CPU or common sense.
duxup 1y ago
Is this Microsoft’s AI initiative at work?
smileybarry 1y ago
This has been making the rounds on Twitter and the story never dies despite being essentially false. (Backed by “I hit Start and got a CPU spike”) Just the “Recommended” section - the lower frame showing M365 files & frequent apps - is built with React Native[1]. And, AFAIK, it uses Microsoft’s React Native for Windows that renders real XAML components, so it’s not just a masquerading WebView or something. The Start Menu itself is still C++ and XAML. (And I think WinUI 2, i.e. the system-included variation of WinUI) It’s not just all a web thing or a JS-backed React Native app. 1: https://youtu.be/kMJNEFHj8b8?t=4m47s https://youtu.be/kMJNEFHj8b8?t=4m47s
- tanseydavid 1y ago
  Is that supposed to make us feel better about the fact that there are noticeable performance issues with it?
  - smileybarry 1y ago
    No, it's supposed to refute the title & assumption of the article linked here.
  - kyriakos 1y ago
    just shows that the platform/tool/framework are not always the problem and that you can write bad code with anything
bni 1y ago
Windows user interface is getting worse and worse. It's been a trend since the last good NT version, Windows 2000. Since then everything is a mess of inconsistencies and UI experiments.
sixtram 1y ago
I'm just wondering, if AI replaces programmers, will our super AI also fix all the slowness and bugs in current software? I saw an Anthropic Claude guy talk about how AI will replace most programmers within 2-3 years, but definitely by the end of this decade. I suppose an additional data center of AI agents could also fix all known bugs.
- benterix 1y ago
  > will our super AI also fix all the slowness and bugs in current software? If the OS you are using is open, then yes, that's doable and we were doing that also before the AI era. With a closed OS, the only thing you have is hope.
- JohnFen 1y ago
  > I saw an Anthropic Claude guy talk When people from genAI companies are speculating about the future of AI, remember that they have a heavy bias and large economic incentive to say things like that. You can't take their statements at face value.
diego_moita 1y ago
Probably there's more than that. I've been using WinDbg to debug a kernel driver and have seen a few React Native messages popping up on WinDbg's console.
dustbunny 1y ago
The decay of the start menu into a laggy, unpredictable surface for advertising is perhaps the pinnacle of windows' downfall. Conversely, MacOS's reputation as a great UX is perhaps largely driven by favorable comparison to the fractured mess of Windows.
milliams 1y ago
Software is a gas: https://blog.codinghorror.com/software-its-a-gas/ https://blog.codinghorror.com/software-its-a-gas/
yhsndjd 1y ago
[dead]

37 points by fidotron 1y ago

theyknowitsxmas 1y ago

Install OpenShell

benoau 1y ago

Probably vibe-coding and blindly accepting without realizing it introduced a new stack...

msgodel 1y ago

Really incredible how each new version of Windows somehow manages to be a regression from the last version while remaining a usable and popular operating system.

MonkeyClub 1y ago
I think the "how" is answered with advances in hardware performance. The consequence is that we have the same (or worse) perceived performance for new (and better) hardware.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]

fredoralive 1y ago

Microsoft 1995: No, the taskbar clock can't show seconds as that causes an unacceptable overhead on a 16MHz 386SX with 4MB of RAM. Microsoft 2025: Lets write the start menu in fucking react, who cars about anything like RAM, CPU or common sense.

duxup 1y ago

Is this Microsoft’s AI initiative at work?

smileybarry 1y ago

This has been making the rounds on Twitter and the story never dies despite being essentially false. (Backed by “I hit Start and got a CPU spike”) Just the “Recommended” section - the lower frame showing M365 files & frequent apps - is built with React Native[1]. And, AFAIK, it uses Microsoft’s React Native for Windows that renders real XAML components, so it’s not just a masquerading WebView or something. The Start Menu itself is still C++ and XAML. (And I think WinUI 2, i.e. the system-included variation of WinUI) It’s not just all a web thing or a JS-backed React Native app. 1: https://youtu.be/kMJNEFHj8b8?t=4m47s https://youtu.be/kMJNEFHj8b8?t=4m47s

tanseydavid 1y ago
Is that supposed to make us feel better about the fact that there are noticeable performance issues with it?
- smileybarry 1y ago
  No, it's supposed to refute the title & assumption of the article linked here.
- kyriakos 1y ago
  just shows that the platform/tool/framework are not always the problem and that you can write bad code with anything

bni 1y ago

Windows user interface is getting worse and worse. It's been a trend since the last good NT version, Windows 2000. Since then everything is a mess of inconsistencies and UI experiments.

sixtram 1y ago

I'm just wondering, if AI replaces programmers, will our super AI also fix all the slowness and bugs in current software? I saw an Anthropic Claude guy talk about how AI will replace most programmers within 2-3 years, but definitely by the end of this decade. I suppose an additional data center of AI agents could also fix all known bugs.

benterix 1y ago
> will our super AI also fix all the slowness and bugs in current software? If the OS you are using is open, then yes, that's doable and we were doing that also before the AI era. With a closed OS, the only thing you have is hope.
JohnFen 1y ago
> I saw an Anthropic Claude guy talk When people from genAI companies are speculating about the future of AI, remember that they have a heavy bias and large economic incentive to say things like that. You can't take their statements at face value.

diego_moita 1y ago

Probably there's more than that. I've been using WinDbg to debug a kernel driver and have seen a few React Native messages popping up on WinDbg's console.

dustbunny 1y ago

The decay of the start menu into a laggy, unpredictable surface for advertising is perhaps the pinnacle of windows' downfall. Conversely, MacOS's reputation as a great UX is perhaps largely driven by favorable comparison to the fractured mess of Windows.

milliams 1y ago

Software is a gas: https://blog.codinghorror.com/software-its-a-gas/ https://blog.codinghorror.com/software-its-a-gas/

yhsndjd 1y ago

[dead]