14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft obviously wants to make Edge browser the preferred choice for as many Windows 10 users as possible, and in order to achieve this goal, the company’s turning to its own services to promote the app.
A few days ago, it emerged that Microsoft was using Bing to encourage users searching for Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to stick to Edge, displaying notifications saying the company recommends Windows 10 adopters to use the default browser.
Many rushed to call this practice unfair and criticized Microsoft for trying to tell users that changing browsers was not a good idea, but there’s nothing wrong with using your own services to promote a product that also belongs to you. And before anything, Microsoft’s not the only one doing it.
Google and its Chrome browser
Google has been doing the same thing for years with its search engine, and what’s more, it does it in a more intrusive way, as its homepage automatically detects your browser and recommends you to switch to Chrome.
And that’s not all. Google says Chrome provides “a better way to browse the web,” no matter if you’re using Firefox, Edge, or Opera, so if you thought that Microsoft was playing unfairly with its new browser, think twice.
Mozilla seems to be out of this controversy for now, but it was a time when Yahoo was being used by the company to push Firefox to users with almost the same tactic.
In the meantime, if you’re wondering how many people actually fall for this and stick to Edge, their number is probably very small. Microsoft knows this very well, but it’s always a good idea to remind people that a new browser is there, especially because the company is still struggling to fight the negative perception of Internet Explorer that has been crushing its browser dreams for years.
