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.

Comments

Chrom-i-edge-i-um

[nwaack]

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.

Re:Chrom-i-edge-i-um

[geek]

Firefox is notoriously difficult to use for this purpose. It's why you never see it done outside of just rebranding it entirely like Waterfox and Ice Weasel.

Mozilla has rested stubbornly on their laurels for 20 years. Turning that ship around and making changes will be hard. The other part of this though is that people do not see Google going away any time soon. Using their engine is a safe bet. Mozilla could be dead in a year based on market share, declining interest and a general perception of being last centuries tech. Right or wrong thats how it is.

Also, I have heard and can't prove that Google is incentivizing companies/orgs to use Chrome. I would not doubt if there wa smoney changing hands here.

Re: Chrom-i-edge-i-um

[mSparks43]

the fact that its news here that when you clone a source folder, the ui looks just like the build of the folder you cloned is somewhat depressing.

Re:Chrom-i-edge-i-um

[serviscope_minor]

Mozilla has rested stubbornly on their laurels for 20 years.

And by stubbonly resting on their laurels you mean creating an entirely new language and surrounding ecosystem for the sole purpose of being able to write a stable multithreaded browser engine.

Something which no one else managed.

That's pretty much the polar opposite of resting.

Re:Chrom-i-edge-i-um

[AmiMoJo]

Mozilla has rested stubbornly on their laurels for 20 years.

You didn't notice that they replaced the entire add-on ecosystem, replaced the JS engine and ripped out tonnes of legacy code? Strange because a lot of people on Slashdot were complaining about it.

One less browser to test against

[93 Escort Wagon]

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".

Re:One less browser to test against

[Anonymous Coward]

One fewer browser to test against...

Yes. Now instead of testing against Firefox and Chrome, we only need to test against Firefox and Chrome. Much simpler!

Wrong giant I think...

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Great news!

[roc97007]

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?

...besides not go to them, that is. That's not always possible. I just ran into this the other day -- an admin portal on a server that only worked with IE. It's not like I can go in and change the firmware.

Re:Great news!

[cdsparrow]

This won't make any difference for those sites. If they require IE, then they won't work in edge or edge chromium.

The best time to use Firefox is 10 years ago

[koavf]

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?

Shocking!

[im_thatoneguy]

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!

Re:Yeah, duh.

[serviscope_minor]

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.