14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is still giving the finishing touches to the first preview build of its new browser, but an early version made the round earlier today, allowing everyone to see what this project is all about.
In short, with the new Microsoft Edge browser, the software giant is making the transition to the most successful browsing engine to date.
Edge will thus transition from EdgeHTML to Chromium, the very same engine that’s also being used by Google Chrome, currently the world’s number one browser. With this change, Microsoft says that it can not only improve its Windows browser, but also contribute to the whole WWW ecosystem with its know-how and resources, eventually improving the experience of everyone online.
The new Microsoft Edge is thus expected to see daylight at some point in the next months, while the preview build should be here any minute now.
The screenshots below reveal the leaked version of Microsoft Edge running in Windows Sandbox for obvious reasons, so some small details could change by the time the browser becomes publicly available.
First and foremost, despite being based on Chromium, the new Edge actually feels more modern than Google Chrome, and it’s most likely because of the clean approach that Microsoft has used.
All visual elements are closely refined, and I must admit that I like this, especially because it comes from Microsoft, the company which has always struggled to build a mature browser.
The migration to Chromium leads to some major changes in Edge, so while Microsoft tried to retain the familiar look and feel of the Windows 10 browser, you’ll notice several elements that are very similar to the ones in Chrome.
For example, the settings screen no longer opens in a sidebar, but in its very own tab, with options organized in straightforward categories that are easy to manage.
Additionally, Edge can now install all Google Chrome extensions from the Chrome Web Store, but at the same time, there’s also a dedicated store maintained by Microsoft and which will most likely be offered as the preferred destination for all users.
There is no dark mode for the time being, and the only visual settings that you can modify are the home button and the favorites bar, the zoom level, and fonts. Other than that, what you see is pretty much what you get too.
Like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge comes with account support, but this time it doesn’t use Google. Instead, you can log in with your Microsoft account and you can click the profile picture in the toolbar to begin the process. You will then be able to sync passwords, payment info, and other details across devices.
Microsoft Edge is supposed to also land on other platforms, like macOS, and it is already available for download on Android and iOS. As a result, sync features definitely come in handy, making the transition from desktop to mobile quite a breeze.
The essential feature package is already there, but it’s pretty clear that Microsoft still has a lot of work to do in order to make the new Edge browser a true competitor to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
At this point, the performance of the browser isn’t really the best of all, but let’s not forget this is a leaked version that reached the web through unofficial channels. Everything is supposed to be substantially refined in the coming months, so when the application is ready for the public launch, Edge should work at least as smoothly as Google Chrome.
For now, the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge is definitely a welcome evolution of the Windows browser, so it’ll be interesting to see how the project evolves.
Check out the full gallery below to see what Edge is currently all about.
