Microsoft is building a Chromium-powered web browser that will replace Edge

[Arthur]

This will please quite a lot of people.

 

Source: Windows Central

 

Microsoft's Edge web browser has seen little success since its debut on Windows 10 back in 2015. Built from the ground up with a new rendering engine known as EdgeHTML, Microsoft Edge was designed to be fast, lightweight, and secure, but launched with a plethora of issues which resulted in users rejecting it early on. Edge has since struggled to gain any traction, thanks to its continued instability and lack of mindshare, from users and web developers.

 

Because of this, I'm told that Microsoft is throwing in the towel with EdgeHTML and is instead building a new web browser powered by Chromium, a rendering engine first popularized by Google's Chrome browser. Codenamed Anaheim, this new web browser for Windows 10 will replace Edge as the default browser on the platform. It's unknown at this time if Anaheim will use the Edge brand or a new brand, or if the user interface between Edge and Anaheim is different. One thing is for sure, however; EdgeHTML in Windows 10's default browser is dead.

 

Many will be happy to hear that Microsoft is finally adopting a different rendering engine for the default web browser on Windows 10. Using Chromium means websites should behave just like they do on Google Chrome in Microsoft's new Anaheim browser, meaning users shouldn't suffer from the same instability and performance issues found in Edge today. This is the first step towards revitalizing Windows 10's built-in web browser for users across PC and phone. Edge on iOS and Android already use rendering engines native to those platforms, so not much will be changing on that front.

 

Microsoft engineers were recently spotted committing code to the Chromium project, further suggesting that Microsoft is working on its own Chromium powered browser for Windows 10.

 

I expect we'll see Microsoft introduce Anaheim throughout the 19H1 development cycle, which Insiders are currently testing in the Fast ring. This is a big deal for Windows and is one that I'm sure many people will be happy about. Microsoft's own web browser will finally be able to compete alongside Chrome, Opera and Firefox, and those who are all in with the Microsoft ecosystem will finally be getting a browser from Microsoft that works well when browsing the web.

 

There's still lots we don't know about Anaheim, and I'm sure we'll hear about it officially from Microsoft in the coming weeks.

[caffrey]

Or just use Chrome

[3s-gtech]

Been expecting this to happen. Suits me - I don't deploy Chrome and rely on Edge for sites where more modern features than IE can provide are needed. It's done this job fine, but can certainly be improved.

[Norphy]

I don't see the point. For two reasons:

 

1) The problem with Edge has never been its rendering engine, it's been its UI. Sticking the Edge UI or something similar onto the Chromium rendering engine achieves what exactly? An awful UI on a different rendering engine? Yay?

 

2) Assuming that this report is true, what will differentiate Microsoft's browser against the sea of other Chromium based browsers out there? Why use it over Chrome, Vivaldi, Opera or Yandex?

 

I don't think that this is especially good news to be honest. One less actively developed rendering engine (Assuming Edge gets depricated) and handing more power to Google.

[TechMonkey]

I don't see the point. For two reasons:

 

1) The problem with Edge has never been its rendering engine, it's been its UI. Sticking the Edge UI or something similar onto the Chromium rendering engine achieves what exactly? An awful UI on a different rendering engine? Yay?

 

2) Assuming that this report is true, what will differentiate Microsoft's browser against the sea of other Chromium based browsers out there? Why use it over Chrome, Vivaldi, Opera or Yandex?

 

I don't think that this is especially good news to be honest. One less actively developed rendering engine (Assuming Edge gets depricated) and handing more power to Google.

 

1) I'd say the problem was MS actively stating to keep using IE11 for it's services as Edge did not work with them. Yes the UI was pants but when the rendering engine is so bad that its own company says to avoid it there is an issue. I do understand that it got better in recent months but the damage was done

 

2) I imagine the thought is, use someone else's engine to cut back resources needed. Why flog a dead horse when 95% of people use the built in browser to download another browser. This way the load is on someone else to keep the guts up to date and MS can push resources elsewhere but they have an internet ready OS. I would also expect them to make the engine interchangeable so if Google did start a beef MS can swap it out for another.

[jthompson]

From Microsoft's perspective, they would have a widely supported rendering engine that they're not having to develop themselves, but would be able to layer over all of the "Hey there, sign in with your Microsoft account!" stuff that they wanted to for browser data. One imagines that Google are killing them on that front at the moment.

 

I should think Microsoft look very jealously at ChromeOS at this point and are trying to pick apart why it has succeeded where RT and 10S haven't.

[themightymrp]

This annoys me as I've been working hard to make Edge work nicely on our single test suite of Windows 10 PC's. I've only just got everything how I like it with the Impero plugin working without a logon script (new 1809 GPO policy for forcing a plugin to not switch off). And now they're ditching it!

 

We offer Chrome and IE as an option already but I was preparing for the day when Edge would be forced upon me. Oh well

[TwistedHelixis]

Last year when I read that MS engineers use Chrome at work and the couple of times recently that MS have needed to switch to Chrome when on stage giving a demo I knew its day was numbered.

[free780]

Can they make a browser that doesn't eat up so much memory. Chrome, Firefox and Edge all seem to gobble up memory.

[Arthur]

Edge is coming to macOS too...

 

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2018/12/06/microsoft-edge-making-the-web-better-through-more-open-source-collaboration

 

For the past few years, Microsoft has meaningfully increased participation in the open source software (OSS) community, becoming one of the world’s largest supporters of OSS projects. Today we’re announcing that we intend to adopt the Chromium open source project in the development of Microsoft Edge on the desktop to create better web compatibility for our customers and less fragmentation of the web for all web developers.

 

As part of this, we intend to become a significant contributor to the Chromium project, in a way that can make not just Microsoft Edge — but other browsers as well — better on both PCs and other devices.

 

Ultimately, we want to make the web experience better for many different audiences. People using Microsoft Edge (and potentially other browsers) will experience improved compatibility with all web sites, while getting the best-possible battery life and hardware integration on all kinds of Windows devices. Web developers will have a less-fragmented web platform to test their sites against, ensuring that there are fewer problems and increased satisfaction for users of their sites; and because we’ll continue to provide the Microsoft Edge service-driven understanding of legacy IE-only sites, Corporate IT will have improved compatibility for both old and new web apps in the browser that comes with Windows.

 

Microsoft Edge + OSS: a new emphasis for Microsoft

Over the next year or so, we’ll be making a technology change that happens “under the hood” for Microsoft Edge, gradually over time, and developed in the open so those of you who are interested can follow along. The key aspects of this evolution in direction are:

 

1. We will move to a Chromium-compatible web platform for Microsoft Edge on the desktop. Our intent is to align the Microsoft Edge web platform simultaneously (a) with web standards and (b) with other Chromium-based browsers. This will deliver improved compatibility for everyone and create a simpler test-matrix for web developers.
    
    
   
2. Microsoft Edge will now be delivered and updated for all supported versions of Windows and on a more frequent cadence. We also expect this work to enable us to bring Microsoft Edge to other platforms like macOS. Improving the web-platform experience for both end users and developers requires that the web platform and the browser be consistently available to as many devices as possible. To accomplish this, we will evolve the browser code more broadly, so that our distribution model offers an updated Microsoft Edge experience + platform across all supported versions of Windows, while still maintaining the benefits of the browser’s close integration with Windows.
    
    
   
3. We will contribute web platform enhancements to make Chromium-based browsers better on Windows devices. Our philosophy of greater participation in Chromium open source will embrace contribution of beneficial new tech, consistent with some of the work we described above. We recognize that making the web better on Windows is good for our customers, partners and our business – and we intend to actively contribute to that end.
   

[Norphy]

I still think that it’s a shame that this is happening and I still think it hands too much power to Google. However, the reasoning they’ve put up there makes sense and I can see where they’re coming from now it’s been explained.

[Dos_Box]

It does make sense, the only thing that concerns me is when you have to do the 'will it work in this browser?' thing with websites that misbehave.

Having one less mainstream choice may possibly leave us with a lot more broken sites out there.

[synaesthesia]

people actually use yandex? Blimey.

[LeMarchand]

I still think that it’s a shame that this is happening and I still think it hands too much power to Google.

 

Yep, this is something I worry about too. I've often wondered about people's claims that "Chrome is quicker". Maybe it's because Google are using tricks to give it an advantage on their sites - I'm guessing Google Search and YouTube makes up a high proportion of usage. https://www.onmsft.com/news/ex-edge-developer-blames-google-tricks-in-part-for-move-to-chromium

[TwistedHelixis]

MS Phone, then Edge, whats next? Chrome OS

[Norphy]

Yep, this is something I worry about too. I've often wondered about people's claims that "Chrome is quicker". Maybe it's because Google are using tricks to give it an advantage on their sites - I'm guessing Google Search and YouTube makes up a high proportion of usage. https://www.onmsft.com/news/ex-edge-developer-blames-google-tricks-in-part-for-move-to-chromium

 

There's a good article on Ars about this subject this morning:

 

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/12/the-web-now-belongs-to-google-and-that-should-worry-us-all/

[chazzy2501]

The big happy for me is that they're bringing Edge (chromium Edge) to Windows 8.1 and 7. Super useful.

[Arthur]

Google denies altering YouTube code to break Microsoft Edge

 

Google disputes Bakita’s claims, and says the YouTube blank div was merely a bug that was fixed after it was reported. “YouTube does not add code designed to defeat optimizations in other browsers, and works quickly to fix bugs when they’re discovered,” says a YouTube spokesperson in a statement to The Verge. “We regularly engage with other browser vendors through standards bodies, the Web Platform Tests project, the open-source Chromium project and more to improve browser interoperability.”

 

At the heart of these issues is an ongoing battle for the web. It’s clear Microsoft has struggled to keep up with the pace of changes at Google, and many of the search giant’s engineers play important roles in pushing web technologies and standards forwards. Google is often the first to adopt these changes as a result, leaving other web developers to play catch up.

 

It’s an issue that’s resulted in a number of Chrome-only sites from Google, as the company continues to adopt and push web standards forwards. Whether that’s Google’s fault for pushing too fast, or Mozilla / Microsoft’s fault for being too slow is still open for debate.

 

Microsoft isn’t commenting on the specific claims made by a former intern, and the company tells The Verge that “Google has been a helpful partner and we look forward to the journey as we work on the future of Microsoft Edge.”

[LeMarchand]

If they're rewriting Edge, why are they still flogging the current version as the bestest browser ever?

 

Been setting up a few new W10 devices manually and I've noticed that if you use Edge to browse for Firefox, the top of the results page looks like this:

 

 

...which makes a mockery of that whole "Browser Choice" nonsense from a while back.

 

Not to mention that if you try to set a different default browser it discourages you.

[Arthur]

If they're rewriting Edge, why are they still flogging the current version as the bestest browser ever?

Edge is better than Firefox and Chrome in some respects. e.g. better protection from phishing, 1080p Netflix streaming support (although there is a workaround for that).

 

Btw, if you register on the website below Microsoft will notify you when the preview build is ready (early 2019).

 

https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com

 

Been setting up a few new W10 devices manually and I've noticed that if you use Edge to browse for Firefox, the top of the results page looks like this:

Google does that too.

 

 

...which makes a mockery of that whole "Browser Choice" nonsense from a while back.

Yeah. That "Browser Choice" thing was completely pointless.

[unixman_again]

If they're rewriting Edge, why are they still flogging the current version as the bestest browser ever?

 

I think this is a function of bing not edge. You get the same result if you search for firefox and chrome at Bing. Opera gives a slightly different result, and M$ apparently haven't heard of vivaldi, as you get no recommendation. So vivaldi it is then

[Arthur]

First look at Chromium Edge (Edgeium?)...

 

[jthompson]

(Edgeium?)...

 

Either that or Chrodge.

[Arthur]

Either that or Chrodge.

Probably not a good choice based on its Urban Dictionary definition.

[Arthur]

what will differentiate Microsoft's browser against the sea of other Chromium based browsers out there?

 

Microsoft's Upcoming Chromium-based Edge Browser Has A Few Features for the Enterprise

 

... if you look in the ‘flags’ area of the new Edge, there are several experimental features that are likely going to be pitched to corporations as to why they should adopt this browser and drop Chrome or Firefox.

 

The first feature is that you will be able to sign into Edge with an Azure Active Directory account. This likely means that it will be possible for corporate users to travel with their preferred settings, on all of the devices where they have Edge installed, along with bringing policy control that is enabled by an administrator.

 

But, I’m not sure if this feature will be enabled on day one as the intent is to use the Azure Active Directory OneDrive tenant for that specific org to sync the data rather than Microsoft’s own free cloud service, OneDrive. The idea is that all syncing occurs via the corporate tenant and not the entire Microsoft service layer.

 

Of course, I do expect this functionality to be available when the product reaches general availability; the public previews shouldn’t be run in the enterprise channel anyway.