A viable Chrome, Firefox alternative

Microsoft hasn’t had the perfect status with regards to internet browsers. For the previous half-decade, Web Explorer and Microsoft Edge have performed second fiddle to Google Chrome and Mozilla’s Firefox, usually serving no different objective than to put in these rival browsers. In a bid to win again some share of the browser market, Microsoft is remaking Edge primarily based on Chromium.

Chromium is an open-source browser undertaking, or internet rendering engine if you happen to desire, began by Google that builders can construct upon to create extra fully-fledged browsers. Google Chrome, Opera, and Amazon Silk are only a few examples of browsers constructed on Chromium. With Microsoft additionally transferring over to the favored open-source undertaking, Firefox now stands out because the final main choice not constructed round Google’s imaginative and prescient for the net.

Microsoft Edge Chromium continues to be in beta, however I’ve been trial working it as my major PC browser for a few weeks now. Sadly, there’s no Android model of Edge constructed on Chromium simply but. As a long-time Google Chrome consumer and frequent dabbler in Firefox, I’ve been pleasantly shocked by my time with Chromium-ified Microsoft Edge. In reality, it’s fairly probably that Edge will develop into my default browser upon last launch.

Microsoft Edge Chromium is filled with nifty options

You wouldn’t instantly place Microsoft, Edge and helpful options in the identical sentence, however the firm’s newest browser is filled with neat methods.

For starters, you’ll discover the same old assortment of favorites, importing bookmarks, and hyperlink sharing choices. Edge additionally presents a built-in Darkish Mode, though it doesn’t overwrite webpage shade schemes. What extra thrilling is Microsoft’s “Learn Aloud” function that’s included out of the field, which might learn again webpages to you. Helpful for proof-reading this text and digesting the information with a morning espresso. There’s additionally an Immersive Reader mode if you happen to fancy studying a web site with out the customized formatting.

A serious plus for me is built-in Chromecast support. I’ll often cast video streams from my tablet or PC to my living room TV. This is one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to shake off Chrome for Firefox, but Edge finally allows me to make the switch and keep on casting.

Edge also boasts a Collections feature. This allows you to curate collections of web pages, images, and text snippets via a simple drag and drop. Think of it as enhanced bookmarks. It’s handy for saving stuff for later without cluttering up your favorites and you can also open Collections up in Excel and Word.

Microsoft finally feels on the cutting edge of the internet.

The final major feature is called Apps. Essentially, Apps allows you to download and install web pages and web apps for use without the Edge browser. Previously, you had to find these dedicated web apps via the Microsoft Store, but now Edge handles downloading and managing web apps all in the browser.

For example, you can download the Twitter web app via Edge just by visiting the Twitter website and clicking “install this site as an app” from the settings menu. Once installed, you can run the webpage as an app directly from your desktop, taskbar, or start menu like any other piece of software. It’s like saving links only better, as some web apps can run offline too. Alternatively, you can install the Android Authority webpage and run it as an app to catch up with the latest news without having to boot up Edge each time. It’s pretty neat and something that I intend to use more often.

Overall, Edge offers everything you’ll want in a web browser and more. Microsoft finally feels on the cutting edge of the internet.

Not as RAM hungry as Chrome

Google Chrome is a notorious performance hog. It’ll take as much RAM as you can give it and that’s one of the main reasons people switch to the much lighter Firefox. The good news is that Microsoft Edge Chromium is even more lightweight than Firefox. It certainly feels like the snappiest browser out of the three.

I ran a quick test, opening up to 15 unique tabs (using the same tabs on each browser) and measuring RAM use once all the pages loaded. The results are quite surprising. Microsoft Edge uses substantially less RAM than Chrome, despite both being built on Chromium, and even less than Firefox too. Edge typically uses just 70 to 75 percent of the RAM required by Chrome, a big deal for systems with limited memory.

Another point worth mentioning is that at no point during my couple of weeks with Edge have I noticed it thrashing my hard drive. Chrome has a habit of scanning various files on my computer, despite opting out of all the available data sharing options. This isn’t great for system performance and raises obvious security questions. The privacy-conscious may want to opt for Edge over Chrome. Although Microsoft already has its share of telementary issues with Windows 10 and Firefox is still the safe bet if you’re after maximum privacy.

Microsoft Edge Chromium download and release date

The full release of Microsoft Edge Chromium edition is expected in January 2020. If you want to try out the beta release, just follow the Microsoft Edge Chromium download button below. The Canary build of Edge Chromium also works with Windows on Arm devices, such as the new Surface Pro X. Chrome still hasn’t released its Arm version, making Edge a compelling choice on these platforms if you’re not already using Firefox.