Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft's Chromium-Based Edge Browser Looks Just Like Chrome (neowin.net)
Last December, Microsoft announced that it has embraced Google's Chromium open source project for Edge development on the desktop, a move that shocked many. We now have some leaked screenshots of the browser in its current state, and they appear to show a browser resembling Google Chrome. Neowin reports: A lot of the design language and icons have remained similar to what they were like before, but there are definitely many changes that will be familiar to Chrome users. For one, the options to see all your tabs and to set aside the currently open tabs have been removed compared to the current version of Edge. To the right of the address bar, you'll be able to find your extensions, as well as your profile picture similar to what Chrome looks like. Bing is integrated into the browser -- as you'd expect of a Microsoft-made browser -- and the New Tab background can be set to rotate based on Bing's image of the day. Scrolling down will reveal a personalized news feed powered by Microsoft News, similar to the old Edge. The layout of the feed can be customised based on your preference from among a number of options.
The settings options for the browser have also changed. While Edge settings are currently available via a slide-out menu from the right, the new Edge's settings are accessible through a new tab similar to Chrome. It'll show the Microsoft account you're logged into, as well as the usual array of toggles and tidbits you'd expect. Ominously, the about page for the browser now acknowledges the contributions of the Chromium project, as well as other open source software, a stark reminder that this isn't the Microsoft of yesteryear. This is a new browser, and a new Microsoft.
The settings options for the browser have also changed. While Edge settings are currently available via a slide-out menu from the right, the new Edge's settings are accessible through a new tab similar to Chrome. It'll show the Microsoft account you're logged into, as well as the usual array of toggles and tidbits you'd expect. Ominously, the about page for the browser now acknowledges the contributions of the Chromium project, as well as other open source software, a stark reminder that this isn't the Microsoft of yesteryear. This is a new browser, and a new Microsoft.
Maybe MS is going for the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" tactic here. Personally, if I were the execs at MS I would've wanted to team up with Firefox to try to take down the giant rather than pretend to be just like the giant.
So now, if someone complains that a site doesn't work in Edge, we can just check it in Chrome. And if it works in Chrome, we can tell the user "file a bug with Microsoft, they didn't copy Chrome correctly".
#DeleteChrome
These are squared off tabs, not rounded....courage! /s
The GIANT was Microsoft. They had a 20+ year lead! They blew it. Over. And Over. And IE7-11... It's beyond even posting a link about for chrissake. Google came in, saw barely-eaten lunch, and the rest is monopoly-for-a-reason-instead.
As much as Google is xyz_bad_thing, Microsoft has been xyz_bad_thing for 20 years, in every single direction including search monetization. Google is simply not as completely incompetent in every single thing they have attempted.
Horse-race won, windows 10 by a lap.
Frankly IMO it's amazing Mozilla is still halfway competitive, I don't like a lot of the pocket'ing dumb moves, the NPAPI environment switching does-and-does-not help the environment,
but from a grand view it's Firefox I trust as a brand least likely of the three to try to steal my data and market it back to me unwillingly. On that basis Mozilla gets my support dollars.
When I use chrome, I cripple the fuck out of it so it's as slow as Firefox anyway.
Still using Firefox, though. 'Cause, maybe they've changed, maybe they haven't. I'm going to give it a little longer and see.
What I'd like to know, is what are we going to do with all those website that require Internet Explorer to work properly?
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
And the second best time is today. It is a sad day for the Web when Microsoft shifts not to making Edge's code free software and developing a community around it but throwing in their lot with the Apple/Google/Opera behemoth based on Blink/WebKit. And to be clear, I don't even have a beef with their browsers and rendering engines on a technical level (other than proprietary components of Chrome, Opera, and Safari) but how can it be good for the Web if virtually everyone is using the same browser that is controlled by a handful of mammoth companies?
One more time, "Embrace Extend"
.....Extinguish.....
Another consultant who stuck it out.
"We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx..."
You mean to tell me that a relatively new customization of an open source project... still looks a lot like the original!? I'm shocked!
They'll probably end up contributing back to the chromium project once they've got the hang of it too.
It's already happening.. You're right, they need a standards-compliant browser because they don't own the platform anymore and it's pretty clear they don't want to, Microsoft want their software and services to run everywhere which means compatibility with web standards is critical. There's no point building your own standards-compliant HTML engine when you can just use and contribute to a collaborative one that way you know the software and services you build for your browser will run on others too.
I had a look at the screenshots and as far as I'm concerned they look absolutely nothing like Chrome at all. They display the hideously ugly appearance the Microsoft currently seems to favour. i.e. Total lack of style. Even the style in Windows 1 was much more attractive.
If nobody was using Edge (and nobody was), then nobody will suddenly switch from Chrome to Microsoft Chrome either.
There's no point building your own standards-compliant HTML engine when you can just use and contribute to a collaborative one that way you know the software and services you build for your browser will run on others too.
For most people no.
For Microsoft, I htink this is a mistake, personally. I mean they're one of the largest companies in the world. They can certainly afford to do so by scraping some change out of the back of Bill's old sofa.
Given how strategically important it is, and they they have integrated browser rengering all over their OS, it seems an odd choice to me to not keep control of it. Thinking in terms of years rather thna quarters that is.
SJW n. One who posts facts.
Microsoft has been failing with IE and then Edge for decades, and there is just no sense in continuing to throw money at it.
They had everything. Beat Netscape, were they default and uninstallable on Windows. MSN was the default homepage, and most people didn't know how to change it. And they failed. MSN failed, Bing failed, IE became a joke - the browser you use to download a decent browser.
Edge was their last ditch effort to gain some traction. Since that also failed, they are left with just needing a browser to ship with the OS and not wanting to use a third party one, so throw a skin on Chromium and call it a day.
By the way, the HTML rendering engine in the OS isn't actually Edge. It's a separate DLL that uses the HTML engine from Word, of all things. It used to be IE, but they switched to the Word one because it was more secure and only supported a safer subset of IE's features.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
It was actually very expected from using absolutely other's code. But don't worry, even without this Windows 10 UI is a big fucking mess. Keep on destroying Windows, Microsoft. I just don't understand, what was seriously wrong with the original Edge (for it's purpose and market share), do they really expect Edge to become a very popular Chrome rival?
ntr
We are down to two browser, and the only thing really separating Firefox is that their backend is different.
For now.
How much longer until til they decide to switch to Chrome for their stuff.
http://progressquest.com/spoltog.php?name=Son+Of+Son+Of+DarkRookie
But this time it seems Google.
... more then a unique engine to show webpages is needed, so we don't back to IE6 nightmare
This is Microsoft's play to take control of the browser people use. They offer an Edge that works just like Chrome, so lazy Windows users go ahead and use their default Edge instead of installing Chrome. Once they've got 80% market share back, they can fork Chromium to add Windows-only components and get websites to implement those, and ta-da they've got lock-in again like in the good old ActiveX days.
This space intentionally left blank
So the chrome downloader will look like chrome?
Thanks for that smooth user experience, Microsoft.
Given how strategically important it is, and they they have integrated browser rengering all over their OS, it seems an odd choice to me to not keep control of it. Thinking in terms of years rather thna quarters that is.
Well I suppose that's the benefit of free software, they can have control over it. They can fork it and take control whenever they wish but the browser engine is really just an implementation of the HTML standard so when a cross-platform one already exists it's hard to see what you bring to the table if you create another one. Kind of like Firefox, I can see niche reasons for using the browser side of it but it wouldn't really make any difference if they switched from Gecko to Blink, in fact I doubt anybody would even notice.
I take your point though, a monopoly isn't a good thing but neither is NIH syndrome.
If MS controlled Chromium works there is no reason to download Google controlled Chromium placing all the data gathered by Chomium in the hands of Bing.
I reserve the write to mangle english.
Once they've got 80% market share back, they can fork Chromium to add Windows-only components and get websites to implement those, and ta-da they've got lock-in again like in the good old ActiveX days.
Even if they managed to get 80% of the browser market on Windows that would only be about 25% of the browser market overall and nobody is going to develop websites that only work on 25% of people's browsers.
but the browser engine is really just an implementation of the HTML standard
Maybe not for much longer. It's only a practical standard if there are multiple implementations of it. There are now twoindependent ones remaining, and a concerted effort from varous parties to get rid of the second.
wouldn't really make any difference if they switched from Gecko to Blink, in fact I doubt anybody would even notice.
Well, it'd be slower. People might notice that.
SJW n. One who posts facts.
The menu dots in Chrome are vertical, in MS's version they're horizontal!
Nothing alike.