Microsoft spent the last year making the new Edge browser that will finally attract users. They finally released it this month, and you can now download it from Microsoft’s Edge website.
The Edge browser was first introduced in 2015 as a new version of the old Internet Explorer. Unfortunately, the software couldn’t keep the browser compatible with enough websites, and people were not using it. However, the last version of Edge made huge changes in the browser and shifted to Google’s open-source foundation for the Chrome browser, Chromium.
A completely different look
The new Edge browser has a completely new and different look with an updated logo described as “a circular crashing wave tinted blue, green and aqua that’s reminiscent of the old blue IE ‘e’ icon”. Microsoft’s corporate vice president Joe Belfiore made a post about it, saying that it can support all “versions of Windows and macOS in more than 90 languages”. Microsoft still isn’t pushing the software to your PC.
He stated that they’ve updated the browser with more privacy and promised more productivity. He added that this new Edge “comes with our Privacy Promise and we can’t wait for you to try new features like tracking prevention, which is on by default, and provides three levels of control while you browse”.
Why switch to Microsoft Edge?
Microsoft believes that two main reasons will make you switch to the Edge browser – productivity and privacy. They presented new features that will increase productivity. An example of this is the Collections feature. It lets you collect information from different websites when you’re planning a travel trip, researching for a paper, or otherwise browsing the web. Edge also fits with Microsoft’s sign-in technology used in businesses so your Edge login information is the same as your email.
When it comes to privacy, the new Edge browser takes a similar approach to Mozilla Firefox by blocking a list of known sites that can track you online. This is connected to Apple’s anti-tracking technology included in Safari and Brave.
The new Microsoft Edge browser allows you to customize your online experience. It lets you choose your design and layout of the new tab pages. It also lets you select the types of news that you want to see and read. You’ll also find other new features in the browser as well. This includes Internet Explorer mode, Microsoft Search in Bing integration, and Chrome-based extension support.
What’s next
According to Belfiore, this is just the beginning and the new features won’t stop. He encourages everyone who wants to see what’s coming to keep using their preview channels – Beta, Dev, and Canary, which will remain available for download on the Microsoft Edge Insider site.
YouTube: Business customers embrace the new Microsoft Edge and Bing
Photo credit: The images are owned by Microsoft and have been provided for press usage.
Sources: Joe Belfiore (Microsoft Blog) / Microsoft Edge / Microsoft Edge Insider / Stephen Shankland (CNET)
