Actually this is not just a Windows issue, it's also something that impacts Mac OS. There have been instances where the native webview on MacOS had bugs that were not resolved until the next major release of OSX. (Can't seem to find a link, will add one later).
In addition, while Windows may now have an up to date version of Edge based on Chromium, which it now uses to render it's webviews, do you know that these Edge installations are not auto updated like Chrome/Firefox for Enterprise installations?
That means they will quickly fall behind from the current latest Chromium, and will throw bugs at some point in the future, when you rely on newer Chromium features. In addition, you will also get bug reports about your app being broken on some windows installations but not others and you will spend way too much time trying to figure out the issue, only to come to the conclusion that you can't really do anything other than change your code back to the older feature-set.
In addition, using Electron and bundling the Chromium along with it, allows you to control the Chromium version used, and you can be 100% certain that everything that works on that Chromium version will continue to do so, irrespective of the edition or number of updates installed on the user's computer.
Webapps have been dealing with this for years, it's not anywhere as painful as you are making it seem. Pick a base version to support, use feature detection to add anything new, and you're golden. The existing browser APIs cover 99% of all apps' needs already, and when you're doing this you can always hand-off things to the native layer as needed.
Electron sets a very unrealistic eternal-greenfield-development standard that is nothing like developing for the web.
It still might be a reasonable tradeoff for me, for some projects but regardless: thank you, that adds some nuance that I didn't get from your earlier comment.
> irrespective of the edition or number of updates installed on the user's computer.
That is the problem though, some user expected software to meet the platform he is using, use latest function the platform introduce, meet the brand new style guide. Claims the software is creepyware if it isn't.
And of course, the developer don't have infinite time and can't meet every demands the users request.
Making functions works between different platform is tough enough. The developer is unlikely to have enough time handles all extra optional platform best practices under the situation that developer don't have enough time to make one software for each platform at first place.
In addition, while Windows may now have an up to date version of Edge based on Chromium, which it now uses to render it's webviews, do you know that these Edge installations are not auto updated like Chrome/Firefox for Enterprise installations?
That means they will quickly fall behind from the current latest Chromium, and will throw bugs at some point in the future, when you rely on newer Chromium features. In addition, you will also get bug reports about your app being broken on some windows installations but not others and you will spend way too much time trying to figure out the issue, only to come to the conclusion that you can't really do anything other than change your code back to the older feature-set.
In addition, using Electron and bundling the Chromium along with it, allows you to control the Chromium version used, and you can be 100% certain that everything that works on that Chromium version will continue to do so, irrespective of the edition or number of updates installed on the user's computer.