Is Microsoft adding too many controversial features to its Edge browser?
Many Internet users welcomed Microsoft’s decision to retire the old Internet Explorer browser and the classic version of Microsoft Edge in favor of a new Chromium-based browser.
Some criticized Microsoft for strengthening Chromium, fearing the move would give Google even more power over the future of the Internet. Others liked the lighter version of Edge which offered better web compatibility and performance than the previous version.
Businesses and organizations that have relied on Internet Explorer technology can use Edge Internet Explorer Mode to continue using these apps and services.
The first versions of Microsoft Edge were released in 2019, and Microsoft surprised many by releasing Edge for other platforms. The classic version of Edge was a feature exclusive to Windows 10 and one of the main reasons the browser never managed to gain any sizeable market share. The new Edge is available for all supported Windows platforms, Linux, Mac, and Android.
Microsoft’s shift in strategy from a Windows 10-only browser to a browser available on all platforms seemed to pay off. Users were finally able to sync data between all versions of Edge and use it on other platforms.
Recently, criticism of Microsoft Edge and Microsoft’s overall strategy regarding the browser has increased. Many users of Windows 11, Microsoft’s newest operating system, are frustrated with the company’s efforts to keep the Edge browser as the system’s default browser. Some links, for example web search results and widget links, use a special link scheme that forces these links to open exclusively in Edge. There is no technical reason for that, just to enforce the use of Edge on the system.
Programs that allowed users to bypass the restriction have become unusable mainly due to recent changes in the operating system. Microsoft has made it more difficult to change the default browser compared to previous versions of Windows, and the company has come under fire from competitors such as Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner.
Feature overload
Microsoft has also come under fire for a number of features it added to Edge recently. Some of which are only available in certain regions, others have been introduced in development editions of Edge.
In the past two months alone, Microsoft added a controversial buy now – pay later feature to Edge, which critics say can incentivize internet users to make purchases they might not otherwise need or be able to afford.
Another new feature that has been added recently is a new Games button, which Ashwin reviewed here. Users can click on it to get a list of games and related information, powered by Microsoft’s MSN service.
Most of these features can be disabled, but are usually enabled by default.
closing words
Is Microsoft adding too much bloat to Microsoft Edge, and if so, why? Some commentators believe that Microsoft could use a trial-and-error approach to feature development, keeping those that offer a positive return and discarding others that don’t. Since Edge is based on Chromium, adding features that Chrome, Edge’s main competitor, doesn’t have can also play a role here.
Others believe that Edge has too many chefs making decisions, and that this leads to a perceived increase in features due to a missing overall strategy regarding the browser.
Now you: Is Microsoft heading in the right direction with Edge? (via Dr. Windows, City Born)
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