Is there any point installing Google Chrome anymore?

[Noxid_w]

Thinking about our summer re-build and I'm considering not installing Google Chrome anymore. Microsoft Edge works so well now, it provides the same browsing experience as Chrome. Gone are the days when you needed both "just in case" it didn't work in Edge. I find Edge easier to manage with GPOs as well. So far, the only argument I've had from my LT lead, with why he thinks we should keep it, is "it provides a choice to students and staff", but I don't see the point in that.

 

What do we all think?

[synaesthesia]

I believe the choice can be important, and there's little to no difference in keeping it installed. Yeah it's another set of GPO's to manage but usually once done, it's just done. Plus it can offer a little more flexibility to staff who may need more than one account open, and even despite them being very similar they are not identical and some sites do behave differently.

[LeMarchand]

If it wasn't for the complaints from staff because "Chrome is faster", I wouldn't bother at my "Windows" school. I'd still install it at my "Google" sites if only to avoid the "Why don't you use Chrome? It's soooo much better" nags when they use GMail and other Google services.

[Olliedawg]

If it was me i would choose between the two (edge if you are a microsoft heavy school). No point managing two browsers like you say.

[Michael]

I installed Google Chrome and uninstalled Internet Explorer years ahead of Microsoft adopting Chromium!

 

Personally I find Chromium Edge is still more cumbersome with Microsoft pushing Bing and the Bing toolbar etc...

 

I know you can correct this behaviour with GPOs, but all my users are familiar with Google Chrome so I see no reason to change.

[jthompson]

We use Google Workspace so in our case, it's Edge that feels like a pointless complication.

 

If you're not using Google accounts, and your users are able to make us of MS sync services within Edge, then you don't appear to need Chrome. The UI in Edge is increasingly cluttered and unfocussed though, IMHO, so may need more work to keep it simple and simpler to support end users with.

[Noxid_w]

I agree that if you're a google school then it definitely makes sense, but we have no chrome devices in our school.

[synaesthesia]

Don't forget it's not always a technical thing - giving a choice can be an important positive for some, even when the choice is an illusion

[mavhc]

I have both enabled because sometimes a site breaks on one and they can switch to the other. Plus Edge is filled with weird stuff like coupons

[Noxid_w]

But that doesn't happen anymore with regards to site breakings. When was the last time that happened? They are both Chromium based browsers.

 

And the coupons you can restrict all that rubbish.

[mavhc]

Last week, probably a half downloaded file or cookie somewhere

[Noxid_w]

Last week, probably a half downloaded file or cookie somewhere

Interesting

[DalekSec]

Always have 2 browsers in case something stops working in 1! and quick way of testing a website is to try in another browser.

 

Plus some platforms require chrome only or edge only (not a lot these days but still some out there)

[jthompson]

For those kinds of errors, a private browsing window, clearing browsing data or a fresh browser profile will resolve broken sites. I wouldn't keep a whole other browser around just for that.

[Cat_Jam148]

Made the jump from Chrome to Edge here not too long after it became chromium based. Haven't really looked back. Integrates with Windows nicely, most of the bloat can be disabled, and is updated fairly often with new features (for better or for worse).

One less app to be installed and maintained.

Staff really didn't care that it was different, most of them just call it the internet anyway...

 

I have both enabled because sometimes a site breaks on one and they can switch to the other. Plus Edge is filled with weird stuff like coupons

Surely if you're worried about having a backup browser in case of issues, you'd install something running a different web engine like Firefox?

Edited April 25, 2024 by Cat_Jam148

[DalekSec]

For those kinds of errors, a private browsing window, clearing browsing data or a fresh browser profile will resolve broken sites. I wouldn't keep a whole other browser around just for that.

 

Had plenty of times in the past where sites haven't worked in private browsing but have in another browser. Had some software that required Chrome and said it didn't support edge also, failed to even load in edge

[3s-gtech]

Edge only here, but we never went to Chrome (IE11 was awesome of course). I like it to use, I have my emails open in Edge but I’ve used Firefox for over 20 years so that’s my own main browser.

 

Choice is good, but most of our users want fewer complications and clutter so that wins.

 

Not happy with how ad driven Edge or Chrome either are, but Chrome more so.

[sigma]

I install Edge and Chrome for users. Apart from giving them the choice, there is still the possibility that an update in either will break something so I also like to have a fallback.

 

For myself, I use Brave browser on mobile devices and Firefox with my custom add-ons for everything else.

[DavR]

I still find it useful to have the complete separation of two browsers, for testing and for when things cock up in one. Case in point, Junior Librarian would only work in Edge, not Chrome, for a while a few months back, and I never did find out why.

 

There's hardly any overhead to it, so we run both to let users choose. Also, it may be an illusion, but for stuff requiring Google accounts to be logged in, it feels like that integrates into the browser better.

[MatthewL]

We binned Chrome off some time ago, constantly flagging with security updates, everything works in Edge so we did that when we binned IE.

 

If anyone does require Chrome we install it or Firefox. We are probably down to less than 20 machines with 2 browsers on now there isn't the need.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Although I will add I still use Chrome at home but its down to personal preference.

[mavhc]

Made the jump from Chrome to Edge here not too long after it became chromium based. Haven't really looked back. Integrates with Windows nicely, most of the bloat can be disabled, and is updated fairly often with new features (for better or for worse).

One less app to be installed and maintained.

Staff really didn't care that it was different, most of them just call it the internet anyway...

 

 

Surely if you're worried about having a backup browser in case of issues, you'd install something running a different web engine like Firefox?

 

It's more for when a cookie or something gets corrupted, had a site where you can log in fine on chrome but not edge, but they normally use edge. Easier to say switch browser than explain about clearing site data

 

More things work in Chrome, plus that's what Android has, so that syncs. And people are logged in anyway to use Workspace. If I removed it then they'd lose their bookmarks, passwords etc.