Despite being included as the default browser in Windows 10, Microsoft Edge has struggled to catch on. Edge lags behind as the fourth most popular browser with just 4% of people accessing the Internet using Edge. That lags behind Firefox’s and Internet Explorer’s 10%, and far behind Chrome’s 65%.
Microsoft is throwing in the towel on the idea of creating a browser based on their technology and is instead switching to one based on Chromium — the same open-source technology that the Google Chrome browser is based on.
I’ve found Edge to be a pretty fast browser but Microsoft is hoping these big changes will give it the broad appeal that Internet Explorer once enjoyed.
We’ve already seen some changes, such as the end of the eReader function in Edge. The final changes to Edge are still a few months away, but If you’d like to be part of the user test of this new (and possibly improved) Edge, you can download and use the Developer version of Edge from the Edge Insider site and let Microsoft know what you think.
Click here to go to the site: https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/
Click the blue download button to get started.
Edge installation should begin automatically. If it doesn’t, go to your downloads folder and click on Microsoft Edge setup.
Installation should only take a minute or so. You can choose between importing your bookmarks, autofill data, and history from Google Chrome or starting fresh. Then hit confirm.
Then choose a look for your new tabs. You can have a pretty picture from Bing at the top, a newsfeed, or a clean look with just your most-used sites. You can always change the look later. Then hit Done.
Here’s what Edge looks like with the Inspirational theme selected.
And you’re ready to start browsing. This new version of Edge is a lot more like Chrome than the previous Edge version. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
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