Microsoft is building its very own Chromium-based browser

Dec 5, 2018 12:25 GMT  ·  By

The browser market pretty much comes down to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, at least on the desktop, while on mobile the battle involves several other names, including Samsung’s Internet browser and Apple’s Safari.

One of the browsers that often made the headlines but which still couldn’t compete against the big guys on the desktop is Microsoft Edge.

As the new default in Windows 10, Microsoft Edge certainly gained a lot of exposure, especially as Microsoft bragged about its features occasionally.

But at the same time, Edge also stepped into the spotlight due to fairly controversial marketing tactics that Microsoft somehow believed it was a good idea to rely on, including ads that showed up on users’ desktop to convince them to stick with the Windows 10 default.

And as it turns out, this has all backfired, and Microsoft Edge failed to succeed, becoming just another project that Microsoft is getting ready to kill off. That’s right, Microsoft is said to be pondering giving up on Microsoft Edge entirely, and instead, the firm wants to develop its own browser from scratch that would be based on the Chromium engine.

At some level, this makes sense. A Chrome-based browser would provide users with access to the large collection of extensions already available out there and would be a lot easier to maintain, though at the same time, Microsoft also needs to be truly committed to delivering improvements regularly.

Microsoft Edge on Windows 10

But there’s no doubt this is something that can be done. Vivaldi is already doing it and just look at how awesome the browser really is. Of course, the team working at Vivaldi has put a lot of effort into getting the app right, and they continue to be super-committed to delivering a smooth browsing experience, which are both things that Microsoft failed at when it comes to the Edge browser.

And now that Microsoft Edge is being retired, here comes a pretty tough question. Without Edge, what browser should Windows 10 users turn to?

As I see it right now, the options are pretty much the same as before when Microsoft Edge was still a thing. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Vivaldi are the only three options that I think are worth a try right now, though several of our readers told me that Opera browser is improving significantly these days and it deserves a chance.

On the other hand, there’s no doubt that replacing Microsoft Edge with a more capable browser won’t be mission impossible. And it’s all because Edge itself left a lot to be desired, especially in terms of performance and extension support.

Microsoft Edge on Windows 10

Judging from this point of view, Google Chrome would be the right way to go, though as many have learned the hard way, this particular browser isn’t very friendly with system resources. The high CPU usage has long been a major headache for Chrome users, and the latest version doesn’t seem to bring any major change in this regard.

Mozilla Firefox seems to be a well-balanced browser, and many choose it claiming they want to stay away from what they call Google’s 24/7 tracking. Firefox also comes with super-advanced options, and the browser keeps evolving with every new version, getting features that improve both performance and security.

And last but not least, Vivaldi and Opera are definitely browsers that could very well serve as daily drivers for many. I use Vivaldi as my main browser right now, and I can’t ask for more.

But what do you think? Without Microsoft Edge, what browser should you choose? Do you think that Microsoft’s upcoming Chromium-based browser would be good enough to replace the ones mentioned above?

Let us know what you think using the box below.

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Microsoft Edge on Windows 10
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