On macOS, why have an electron app when you can add the webpage to the dock as a...

Nesco · 2024-10-31T18:30:26 1730399426

Here is the comparison:

Claude Electron app vs Claude Safari PWA

Pros:

* Can be opened with a customizable shortcut

* Takes less RAM (400 MiB < 600 MiB)

Cons:

* Needs to be downloaded

* Weight 150 MiB

* Slower to start

* Loose language localisation

* Loose Safari's capabilities:

  - Printing the content of the current page

  - Speech2Text

  - Accessibility

  - ...

__jonas · 2024-10-31T18:46:12 1730400372

The whole electron app uses less RAM than the page opened as a PWA? That’s surprising to me, how come? I somehow thought Safari was more memory efficient than Chromium

tiltowait · 2024-10-31T18:55:54 1730400954

I was surprised, too, so I just checked. Sure enough, https://claude.ai takes 663MB.

I wonder if there’s an architectural difference that allows the Electron app to be more lean?

(Note I didn’t download the new app, just installed the PWA, so I didn’t verify those numbers.)

yawnxyz · 2024-10-31T22:24:47 1730413487

that's wild that essentially a website that's a few textboxes should take 600MBs+

orf · 2024-10-31T19:49:14 1730404154

The browser takes 663MB, or specifically the tab?

tiltowait · 2024-10-31T22:31:10 1730413870

The Claude tab, itself. From Activity Monitor:

640.6 MB https://claude.ai

51.5 MB Claude

28.8 MB Claude Web Content

20.9 MB Open and Save Panel Service (Claude)

17.5 MB Claude Graphics and Media

15.5 MB Claude Networking

5.6 MB com.apple.Safari.SandboxBroker (Claude)

5.1 MB QuickLookUIService (Open and Save Panel Service (Claude))

---

If I open Claude in Safari, Safari itself is 204MB, and the Claude tab is 640MB.

ec109685 · 2024-11-01T17:24:32 1730481872

Those numbers don’t add up to 640mb. If you have 10 Claude tabs open, you’re not using 6gigs of resident memory.

brap · 2024-11-01T22:29:53 1730500193

Insane, what could possibly take so much space?

runako · 2024-11-01T03:38:31 1730432311

I suppose I use the PWA differently than most people? I just leave it open all the time, so I don't care how long it takes to start or how much data it takes to download to boot.

bustodisgusto · 2024-11-01T03:52:45 1730433165

It’s such a poorly designed PWA. They really failed to take advantage of any of the browsers storage mechanisms. Like why not put conversation history in indexedDB?

notatoad · 2024-10-31T21:31:40 1730410300

as a chrome PWA it's 259MB for me, vs ~700MB for the electron app.