old vs new tech

[solodevx]

I’ve noticed a recurring challenge in frontend development: many tools and frameworks evolve quickly, but sometimes developers are forced to use older, “stable” versions for projects.

For example:

Using Next.js 14 instead of 16 because of compatibility/stability issues.

Staying on Tailwind CSS v3 rather than the newer, less stable v4.

TurboPack / TurboNet is still not fully mature in some setups.

While these older versions are stable, they create a mismatch between what clients and the market expect (the “latest technology”) and what developers are actually using. When new versions come out, projects may need upgrading, which can be stressful and error-prone.

I think companies like Vercel, Tailwind Labs, Turbopack, and the Next.js team should aim to make newer technology more stable, so developers can confidently adopt it without worrying about project instability.

It’s hard to balance stability and cutting-edge features, but we, as developers, really need tools that are both reliable and modern.

[wongjn]

What have you experienced that is less stable in v4?

[solodevx]

the main areas that feel less stable in next.js 4 with turbo are the app directory routing and server components. Hot reloading can be inconsistent, and some integrations with Tailwind or other build-time tools occasionally break due to caching or bundler changes especially with turbopack ahhhh

[solodevx]

the load compile time is extra

[rozsazoltan]

[...] but sometimes developers are forced to use older, “stable” versions for projects [...] staying on Tailwind CSS v3 rather than the newer, less stable v4 [...]

If I had to guess, they are disappointed about the lack of support for legacy browser versions. That said, this is the nature of technology - we move forward, and a line has to be drawn somewhere.

When we are talking about a portfolio website, it is understandable to aim for proper rendering across as many browsers as possible. However, in the case of an application, it is reasonable to set clear criteria; for example, our admin interface will provide a 100% optimal experience only on specific browsers.

I think that is all there is to it. I will also build the main site using v4, but it may happen that I provide legacy-browser-compatible code for it, for example by using LightningCSS features.