Tuesday, August 20th 2019
Microsoft's Chromium-based Edge Browser Now Available in Beta
Just in April, Microsoft was introducing the first flighting programs for their chromium-based Edge browser, with daily (Canary) and weekly (Developer) builds being made available to users. Fast forward four months, and the company is now making it available in beta form - the last step between general availability and an official, "finished" release.
Microsoft decided to stop developing their in-house browser engine, instead taking from and building upon the open-source Chromium project, from where Google chrome takes most of its components. The decision was meant to allow Microsoft to become a more powerful player in the development of Chromium and the internet browsing experience as a whole, facilitating developers' work. The Beta of Edge supports 14 languages and some quality of life features, such as the ability to decide whether their new tab page is laid-out in a Focused, Inspirational or Informational mode. Some other supported features include Microsoft Search (integrated with Bing), Internet Explorer mode and Windows Defender Application Guard. There's also a tracking prevention browsing mode, which prevents tracking from websites that you haven't really visited. This features includes three levels of privacy - Basic, Balanced and Strict. Will this be enough to make you jump towards the Edge?
Source:
Windows Blogs
Microsoft decided to stop developing their in-house browser engine, instead taking from and building upon the open-source Chromium project, from where Google chrome takes most of its components. The decision was meant to allow Microsoft to become a more powerful player in the development of Chromium and the internet browsing experience as a whole, facilitating developers' work. The Beta of Edge supports 14 languages and some quality of life features, such as the ability to decide whether their new tab page is laid-out in a Focused, Inspirational or Informational mode. Some other supported features include Microsoft Search (integrated with Bing), Internet Explorer mode and Windows Defender Application Guard. There's also a tracking prevention browsing mode, which prevents tracking from websites that you haven't really visited. This features includes three levels of privacy - Basic, Balanced and Strict. Will this be enough to make you jump towards the Edge?
32 Comments on Microsoft's Chromium-based Edge Browser Now Available in Beta
Commence browser war in the comments
I'd rather jump off a cliff...
I am typing this in Edge on Android. F**k Chrome.
I've been running the dev releases of Chredge on 10 for awhile now. ;-)
It's a good idea in theory, but I have had several times Chrome never worked for me, but Edge worked flawless... so I am a bit sad that day might come... hopefully they get all the kinks worked out by then.
Especially since Google has decided to cripple ad blocking all the way down into Chromium... so all Chromium based browsers will eventually have to neuter ad blockers. It's for your security though!
Alphabet has shown incredible contempt for their whole 'Do no evil' slogan. They've gone hard fir those dark side cookies, and as a result like to load our devices with evil cookies. :laugh:
Some things you just learn to deal with.. i.e., Chrome.
Say like the ad blocker breaker, it's a pretty low level method for chrome to interact with the site.
I'd be happy if they can fork it, keep things functional and call the fork, Chredge... lol
Here's a little trip down memory lane for those interested in web browser tech history:
IE and "Edge" used the Trident rendering engine. By switching to Chrome's Blink engine they're giving their low-fat milk market share over to Google who already has a wild excess of market share and mostly because Chrome was pre-packaged with every piece of software on Earth from anti-virus installers to Crap Cleaner, etc. Add to the "market mindshare" of people who can't think for themselves and Mozilla's "leadership" being high on drugs and also being political extremists losing an entire engine is a huge blow to the web development community. It is literally impossible to stay neutral in regards to Microsoft when you pound on the schills, astro-turfing, political extremism and the general uncontrolled behavior and total lack of ethics. IE's new beta using Blink is the double-deuce to the entire web development community. Which I do not include nubs who only test Chrome as part of our community.
Excuse me while I go to the restroom, I need to use Listerine to get the taste of praising Microsoft out of my mouth. Something about it just tastes funny.
I'm using this browser full time, what better way to really put it through its paces than to use it full time. For being a beta version it's stable, like really stable.