What was just a rumor a few days ago has now become a reality. We're talking about the possibility of Microsoft abandoning the Edge browser in favor of a Chromium -based solution , something the company has now officially confirmed . Here's what this change entails.
Why is Microsoft leaving Edge?
Microsoft's constant struggle to get its users to use Edge instead of other browsers like Chrome has been to no avail. The Redmond company seems to have grown tired of this absurd fight and has adopted the " if you can't beat them, join them" approach.
The reason for this change isn't so difficult to understand. As Joe Belfiore, Vice President of Windows Corporate, states in one of the company's official blogs, the company intends to "adopt the open-source Chromium project in the development of Microsoft Edge desktop to create better web compatibility for our customers and less web fragmentation for all web developers."
https://youtu.be/iQAap-HVn3E
The main reason, therefore, seems to lie in platform compatibility , something that has plagued Microsoft all this time. It's true that the browser works well most of the time, but there are times when certain content isn't fully compatible with the Edge environment, since developers haven't even bothered to optimize the platform—its market share is quite low , not even reaching 3%. This ultimately pushes users to the inevitable: abandoning Edge and installing another browser on Windows, usually Chrome or Firefox.
This move also improves updates . Until now, having the latest version of Edge required having the latest version of Windows installed, which isn't always the case. This means users with different versions of Windows 10 often have different versions of the browser. With a Chromium-based solution, updates can be delivered independently of the operating system (and more frequently), allowing users to access them regardless of the specific Windows 10 package running on their PC or laptop.
If you're a Microsoft Edge user , you don't need to do anything for now. The browser won't change, so Microsoft encourages you to continue using it as usual. The company is also calling on web developers to join the community to test previews and stay up-to-date on testing and new features.
Microsoft's idea is to have the first preview build (not the final version) ready in early 2019 , so that you can then have a first contact with the new browser.
Do you use Microsoft Edge?