GitHub Desktop

GitHub Desktop is your local experience, still tied to the Internet but without the restraints of a browser tab. It's a great replacement if you're making use of this service, and especially if you constantly find yourself uploading and changing various elements within your branches and repositories.

I think that one of the best things developers can do when creating a desktop variant of an online service is to transfer that feeling to the downloadable application. In this particular case, there is no issue in terms of this perspective. In fact, it keeps the formula quite well and adapts it where necessary.

With this in mind, I found the app to be easy to work with, a great thing to keep in mind when comparing it to its online counterpart. You still have access to all menus and submenus, just like you would online. Some elements from your submitted projects are more visible in the online application.

The program doesn't only keep track of your projects. Your GitHub profile is also quite easily accessible. There are very few aspects that might make some avoid this program. Reloading the page is easier than closing the app if something goes wrong. The app still needs a solid Internet connection since the service is dependent on it and in the end, it might consume a bit more resources than your browser, although this is debatable.

A cool feature integrated within the structures of the desktop app is the tab system, which sort of emulates the browser tabs you'd deal with. You get the best of both worlds as a result. GitHub Desktop is a helpful hand most developers need in terms of creating a specific corner for their hub work, and this is exactly what the desktop application attempts to do.