The "Inspirational" new tab screen from the new Chromium-based Edge browser.
Microsoft announced today that the next version of its Edge browser is now available as a Beta for all supported versions of Windows and macOS. The new edge browser is built on the Chromium engine, which provides a variety of benefits—especially when it comes to availability and compatibility.
Microsoft Edge
When Microsoft launched Windows 10 in 2015, they also introduced the new Edge browser to replace the iconic Internet Explorer. With Windows 10, Microsoft strived to address the issues and complaints users had about Windows 8 and create an operating system that was less touch-centric and more respectful of current technology. At the same time, they designed the Edge browser to be more stable and secure than Internet Explorer—less susceptible to third-party code draining resources or causing conflicts.
The Edge browser has succeeded in achieving those goals, but it came at a cost. Microsoft locked Edge to Windows 10, which meant that only PCs running Windows 10 could use the browser, and there was no way to independently update just the browser. If you updated Windows 10, your Edge browser was also updated, but if you did not update Windows 10, your Edge browser would also not be updated.
Another adverse consequence of tying the Edge browser to Windows 10 is that it resulted in relatively low market share among browsers. The volume of Edge users was too low for many websites or developers to bother building or properly testing for Edge performance or compatibility. Microsoft engineers attempted to achieve greater compatibility for the Edge browser, but even with a significant investment of time and resources they struggled to keep pace with the rate of change of the web itself.
Shifting to Chromium
Microsoft announced last year that it was making a shift to a new Edge browser built on the open source Chromium engine—the same browser engine behind the popular Google Chrome browser. Using a shared browser engine enables Microsoft to be part of the majority group of browsers and achieve greater compatibility.
At the same time, the shift to a Chromium-based Edge browser will also remove the chains that tie it to Windows 10. The new Edge browser is available for a wide variety of supported Windows versions and macOS devices. The broader availability will benefit the browser itself, and will also help schools and businesses that have a diverse environment and need a single browser they can use across all devices.
Microsoft Advantage
As part of the shift to Chromium, Microsoft also committed to participating in and contributing to the open source Chromium project. Microsoft developers have already helped develop features for smooth scrolling and support for Windows 10 accessibility features for the Chromium base.
Many organizations and individuals already use Google Chrome, so it may seem at face value like there is no compelling need to switch. However, there are a number of unique advantages that Microsoft brings to the table with the new Edge browser.
For organizations built around Microsoft—using Office 365, Azure Active Directory, InTune, etc.—it makes sense to take a look at the new Edge browser for its simplified deployment and greater integration and compatibility. The new Edge browser also includes the ability to host Internet Explorer as a tab in the browser—which is useful for organizations that still rely on applications that require the legacy browser.
End users may want to consider making the switch to the new Edge browser from both privacy and productivity perspectives. Many people are concerned about what Google is monitoring and what they do with that data—or how they monetize it—when using Chrome. With the new Edge, you get the same browser engine and core functionality without the invasion of privacy.
Edge also offers a Collections feature for enhanced productivity. You can collect sites or tabs together in a collection around a specific theme—research for a term paper, planning a family vacation, etc.—so it is easier for you to locate and reference those resources later.
Check out the New Edge Browser Beta
I’m excited for more people to have an opportunity to try out the new Edge browser. I have been using the Dev release for a few months now and I love it. No matter what your preferred browser is right now, I recommend you download the Edge browser Beta and give it a try.
