A series of leaks has sparked excitement about what Microsoft could soon be bringing into the web browser marketplace.
Currently called Microsoft Edge 75, the new browser was always going to take a step towards Chrome, as it was built on Google’s open source Chromium technology. This means that the new Edge won’t just work in a similar way to Chrome, but it’ll have more cross-functionality than ever before.
For example, Edge 75 will – if the early tests bear out – work with all of Chrome’s third-party add-ons. It will also present users with the option to easily and seamlessly import their browser settings and configurations over from Chrome at the touch of a button.
Whilst all this may leave people wondering why you would want to have a Chrome-style browser when you can just have Chrome itself, analysts have pointed out just why this may not play out as such in the real world. After all, though Google may have the monopoly on web browsers, Microsoft is streets ahead in the Operating System stakes. So, if you buy a new desktop or laptop that has a built-in browser that works just like Chrome, it’d be all too easy to just stick with it.
Elsewhere, one new feature that also generated excitement was the ability to turn webpages into apps quickly and easily. It means that tools such as Google Calendar or Tweetdeck (as thurrott.com notes) can be transformed into desktop web apps by simply clicking the three dots on the top right of the screen and then ‘Install app’.
Though it’s still in testing phase, many of those who have got their hands on this early version of Edge 75 think it feels complete enough to have a large-scale release very soon. As bleepingcomputer.com notes, users have reported how the browser “performs really well” and “is more than ready for public preview.”
