The market for web browsing browsers has long been in the hands of Google Chrome. According to the latest data, the Mountain View company's solution holds 68.50% of the market share. In short, at the beginning of 2020 there seems to be little to do to unhinge Chrome from the top of the most used browsers globally. Still, the struggle to become Google's main rival is tighter than ever. In fact, Microsoft recently decided to completely review the preinstalled browser on Windows 10 and to starting from the open source Chromium project, or from the same "base" used by the Mountain View company to make Chrome.
This drew the attention of users, who seem to have appreciated the new Microsoft Edge more than the previous solutions. In fact, the Redmond company's proposal has already reached the second position in the ranking of the most used browsers in the world, obtaining 7.59% of the market share in a few months and surpassing Mozilla Firefox (which stops at 7.19%) .
How to install Microsoft Edge
In the last few days we have received several reports of users who have not yet received the new version of the browser, despite having been launched on January 15, 2020. Well, Microsoft has already announced that Chromium-based Edge will reach everyone via Windows Update. However, it was immediately stated that the rollout could take a long time and therefore it is normal that you did not receive it via the Windows 10 update.
If you think about it, this makes the result we mentioned above even more interesting, as it means that many people have decided to install and use Microsoft Edge on their own. In short, in reality the "push" that can derive from the pre-installation on Windows 10 is far from over and the browser could earn other important percentage points in terms of market share by the end of 2020.
In any case, if you want to speed up the process and try Microsoft Edge right away, simply connect to the official Microsoft website and click on "Download"and later on that"Accept and Download". After that, once the download is complete, you will have to open the setup file, wait for the additional files to be downloaded and complete the installation.
Note the fact that Microsoft Edge based on Chromium goes directly to replace the previous version of the browser, then in the lower left, in the taskbar, you should immediately see the new icon to access the program.
What changes from Google Chrome?
Starting Edge for the first time, users who are used to using Google Chrome will find themselves at home immediately. At the top left there are the classic buttons to go back / go forward and reload the page. The only difference is the absence of the icon that leads to the Home (in Chrome it is usually used to go back to the Google home page). At the top right something changes, but not too much: there are the icon to manage the favorites, the one relating to the account (which is used to synchronize data between the various devices in the user's possession) and the icon to access to the various options.
Here too, the changes are not many: there are all the classic features, from "Print" to "Find on the page": the only real differences are in the calling cards"App"and"Extensions"Well, the first ones, also supported by Chrome (but listed differently), are nothing but the PWA (Progressive Web App). For the uninitiated, these are applications that behave exactly like Web pages. We are therefore talking about software that can be installed, both on desktop and mobile, and started via the browser.
To give you a concrete example, if you often read these pages and want to install the PWA of Everyeye Tech, just open our site from Microsoft Edge, press the icon of the three dots on the top right, pass the mouse cursor over the item "App" and select "Install Everyeye Tech" (on Chrome there is only the latter option).
The first tangible change for users who are used to using Chrome comes in extensions instead. In fact, as you have probably already guessed, Microsoft Edge cannot, at least by default, use the Chrome Web Store, but must rely on the Microsoft Store. Well, the section dedicated to Edge add-ons is declared as still in Beta by the same company in Redmond and therefore do not expect the same amount of extensions available for Chrome.
As you can see by consulting the complete list published on the official website, there is still a long way to go to reach the competition and there is no lack of extensions from the dubious origin / usefulness. Don't get us wrong, some popular software are found, such as the Avast extension, but there are also several important shortcomings (think, for example, of the BigG services, such as the Google Hangouts extension). In any case, once an extension is installed, it appears at the top right and is manageable in a similar way to what happens on Chrome.
There is actually a way to take advantage of the Chrome Web Store extensions on Microsoft Edge. In fact, going to the page on the extensions, at the bottom left, a little "hidden", there is an option called "Allow extensions from other archives". By enabling the latter, the browser will warn that third-party extensions are not verified by the Redmond company and that these software can cause performance problems.
Despite this, the option allows you to tap into the Chrome store. In fact, by connecting to the official website of the latter, Edge warns the user that, once this setting is enabled, it is possible to install the various extensions by pressing on the "Add to Chrome" item.
If you are thinking that the real differences are found by going to the options panel, in reality it is not exactly like that. In fact, there are all the main options, from the update screen to the aspect screen (complete with possibility to set the dark theme), going through the settings of the page to be opened at startup and the privacy options. Obviously, there are several differences, from the lack of integration, at the browser level, with the Google account (here we use the Microsoft account) to the different way of managing the various settings.
However, the "base" is clearly the same, so much so that by typing, for example, "edge: // flags", most geek users can access almost the same experimental features of Chrome. For example, you can "force" Dark Mode on search pages by enabling the "Force Dark Mode for Web Contents" option. Usually these features have important bugs, but this example allows us to better understand to what extent Edge and Chrome look alike.
An important difference is the screen that appears when you open one new tab, given that Microsoft is trying to use it to push its search engine, namely Bing. The Redmond company has made this page more "lively" than its direct rival, by implementing a default background and interesting cards. In particular, at the top there are the classic search bar and the most visited sites, while at the bottom there is the weather information and a selection of news made through the Microsoft News service. The latter are divided according to the topic and can be customized according to your interests. There is also the possibility of changing the page layout.
In short, the Redmond company has done a good job, even if it is a matter of taste and it is clear that the presence of the Bing search engine may not be well seen by everyone. If you are wondering, the default search engine can be changed regarding the URL bar, but not on the page that appears when a new tab is opened. Of course, just search through the URL bar and not through the one in the center of the page, but you have to get used to it.
The real differences between Chrome and Edge
If so little changes in terms of functionality and there are also limitations (such as those relating to extensions, even if "circumventable", as we have seen), why do some users decide to use Edge instead of Chrome? Well, usually those who use Microsoft's solution make it a question of performance. In fact, several performance-related tests have shown that the end results are similar and that many users will probably not even notice the differences. It must be said that establishing which browser is "faster" is very complex, given that there are myriads of variables in play and users often have conflicting experiences.
What is objective, however, is that Edge uses less RAM than Chrome in many contexts. We tried to do a very simple test: open the same five pages on Chrome and Edge, without logging in and without any type of extension. Well, in our test we noticed a 550MB RAM consumption with Chrome, while Edge stopped at around 350MB. In short, according to this single test, the difference between the two browsers would be around 35%.
Obviously, relying solely on a similar test would be somewhat limiting, but we have noticed, verifying the tests carried out by users, that the difference usually ranges from 20% up. In short, Microsoft's solution can undoubtedly have advantages, especially for those who want to take advantage of the possibilities offered by the Chromium engine but have a dated computer.
At the moment, however, it is difficult to think that those who have machines with a high amount of RAM decide to abandon Chrome.
Summing up, Microsoft still has a long way to go to get to the competition, but it must be said that the Redmond company has made great strides in the last period. Difficult to forget Internet Explorer, which has now become synonymous with "slowness". Instead, Edge's new path takes the right path, despite being faced with several problems. However, the latter are normal, since we are at an early stage in the project.
To think that Microsoft manages to oust Google Chrome from one day to the next is utopia, but working on these foundations and taking advantage of the spread of Windows 10, the Redmond company could certainly achieve interesting results. The second place in terms of market share is only a starting point. In short, we would like to say that Microsoft is finally returning to the track also in the browser field and we can't wait to find out whether or not it will be able to worry the Mountain View company properly over the next few years.
