Everybody’s talking ‘bout...

WELL, MAYBE NOT ENTIRELY NEW – BUT INTERNET EXPLORER IS DEFINITELY BEING LEFT IN THE PAST.

MICROSOFT EDGE IS changing. As reported in these pages previously, Microsoft’s oft-maligned web browser is getting a fresh lick of paint on the outside and a complete mechanical rewrite underneath. This means the technology borrowed from Internet Explorer, which until now has dealt with the difficult task of displaying web pages, is being removed in favour of the Chromium engine which powers Google’s Chrome.

That’s a very significant update – the browser itself won’t look or feel particularly different in use, but the move to Chromium will help Edge’s updates more frequently, by more people, and means Microsoft’s own engineers can focus on building a better browser. It also means that those building the web have an easier time, given that they have one less browser technology to build for.

So, how good will it be? Many (including ourselves) have been testing the new Edge, which is due for release in early this year, and it’s almost universally liked – the new version, as it stands today, is fast and friendly, feeling a lot like Chrome with Microsoft’s own spin on it. Given that many Windows 10 users used Edge only once in order to download Google Chrome, the fact that it quickly imports bookmarks and settings from Chrome is a neat feature, and Microsoft is already maintaining its own store of Extensions so you’ll be able to use the same extras, like LastPass or uBlock Origin, that you’re used to installing on Chrome.

But what of that new look? It is, predictably, rather like Chrome, with a few quality of life customisations on board. But there’s still that spectre of Internet Explorer to shed. In a cute touch, Microsoft’s canny team tucked a scavenger hunt into its preview version, leaking a small clue for enthusiastic testers and leaving them to follow the trail – one which ended up at a neat built-in SkiFree-esque surfing mini game, and a glimpse at the browser’s brand new logo, which finally moves Edge in its own unique direction and leaves that Internet Explorer ‘e’ firmly in the past.

Try the browser for yourself at http:// microsoftedgeinsider.com.