14 DAY TRIAL // One of Microsoft’s latest top products is a transformed version of Microsoft Edge that runs on Chromium, the same engine that powers the world’s currently most-used browser Google Chrome.
By migrating to Chromium, Microsoft can solve a series of challenges that the EdgeHTML-based sibling had a hard time coping with, and one of them is the huge ecosystem of extensions already available for users.
Because yes, once Microsoft Edge completes the transition to Chromium, it should support absolutely all Google Chrome extensions, just like all the other browsers running on the same engine.
Earlier today, an experimental version of the new Microsoft Edge made the rounds, allowing us to try out the browser before Microsoft releases a preview build for all users.
And after using the application for several hours, I’m impressed. Not necessarily by the application itself, but by how Microsoft sees the future of browsing overall.
First and foremost, the most notable improvement is the clean and straightforward approach that the software giant tried to rely on when developing the application. The interface is by no means cluttered, and for those who seek a simplified browsing experience without complex features they don’t actually need, the current version of Edge is just what they want.
Of course, Microsoft Edge will continue to improve in the coming weeks, months, and years, so it’s essential for the software giant to maintain this approach regardless of how many features it adds.
The similarities between Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are more than obvious at this point, and this makes total sense since they’re based on the same engine. But the most important thing is that Microsoft Edge can finally be considered an alternative to Google Chrome altogether.
Microsoft’s priority right now should be listening to user feedback. Surrendering to Google in the browser market wasn’t an easy thing to do, and many users out there received it with much criticism for the software giant.
Mozilla, which is currently the maker of the world’s second most-used desktop browser, explained that Microsoft moving to Chromium gives Google more control over the web, so what the software giant should have done is investing in its own browser.
This is why it’s so critical for Microsoft to develop the browser based on what its users say. This way, the company can win back the hearts of customers it previously let down, while at the same time building a browser that perfectly addresses their needs.
In the last few years, feedback turned into Microsoft’s main engine for the development of new products. Windows, Office, and even Microsoft Edge were all built and improved based on user suggestions. This approach needs to continue in a much more efficient approach for the new browser too, and one of the reasons is because Redmond can’t really afford another blunder in this software market.
After Internet Explorer and the original version of Microsoft Edge, this new Chromium-based app seems to be the best browser the company ever built. However, let’s not forget that pretty much everyone said the same thing when Project Spartan was in its early days, so it’s essential for Microsoft to play its card right this time.
There’s no ETA as to when the new Microsoft Edge should hit production devices, so there’s no reason for the software giant to rush the development process. A preview build should be released in the coming days or weeks, and beginning with this moment, the company has how much time it wants to make sure Edge is exactly what it’s supposed to be: a mature browser that Windows seriously needs.
Check out a large Microsoft Edge screenshot gallery here.