Microsoft Edge

Hamster

Hamster

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I've been going through a "try a different browser" phase. Been using Chrome ages and thought it's time for something else.

First I installed Firefox Dev edition, ported all my "speed dial links" etc. and used it exclusively for a week (both laptop and phone). Not impressed to be honest: some video playback just don't work, media keys on Mac don't work and on the iPhone it becomes unresponsive. After a decade it still sucks :p

So I installed the new Edge built on Chromium on the laptop and phone (not sure if the phone is the Chromium edition already). Couple of issues:
- no speed dial
- sync between mobile/desktop not working 100%
- with the three extensions that are available only 95% of my needs are met

BUT the browsing experience is pretty good. The default search is Bing and I haven't bothered to change it (not sure if you can) and I have to say I'm not missing Google.

They'll need to up their offering for real "power nerds" to want to use it, but so far it's a great experience and I might stick with it. I even logged in to my old Outlook/Live account and considering maybe de-googling myself (except for YouTubes) :D
 
Edit: What follows is my opinion on the standard version off edge so probably off-topic. Feel free to skip.

I keep on trying it out every few weeks. I have a laptop specifically for Windows 10 update previews and so far I'm underwhelmed.

I think the main problem with it in my opinion is that it is sort of trying to do too many different things and not being really good at anything.
 
Last edited:
It’s in Beta so sync isn’t meant to work yet, but will.

Extensions you can get off Google store.
 
lowriderza said:
I keep on trying it out every few weeks. I have a laptop specifically for Windows 10 update previews and so far I'm underwhelmed.

I think the main problem with it in my opinion is that it is sort of trying to do too many different things and not being really good at anything.
Click to expand...

Heh?

It’s only been available for a few weeks so I’m not sure how you could be trying it “ every few weeks”.
 
I've recently switched over from being a die hard Chrome user to Edge Dev. There's a few extensions on the Microsoft Store but you can just go to the chrome store and install any chrome extension. It just pops up a dialog about allowing extensions from other stores.

There's a "dev" setting with a dark theme.

I've switched over on my phone as well. Compared to Chrome, the 3 winning features are again a dark theme, multiple profile support (amazing for work Azure access etc) and ad blocking. I still prefer Chrome's tab layout (basically a stack with most recent in front) to Edge's (a grid that reshuffles every time you open/close a tab).
 
Hamster said:
I've been going through a "try a different browser" phase. Been using Chrome ages and thought it's time for something else.

First I installed Firefox Dev edition, ported all my "speed dial links" etc. and used it exclusively for a week (both laptop and phone). Not impressed to be honest: some video playback just don't work, media keys on Mac don't work and on the iPhone it becomes unresponsive. After a decade it still sucks :p

So I installed the new Edge built on Chromium on the laptop and phone (not sure if the phone is the Chromium edition already). Couple of issues:
- no speed dial
- sync between mobile/desktop not working 100%
- with the three extensions that are available only 95% of my needs are met

BUT the browsing experience is pretty good. The default search is Bing and I haven't bothered to change it (not sure if you can) and I have to say I'm not missing Google.

They'll need to up their offering for real "power nerds" to want to use it, but so far it's a great experience and I might stick with it. I even logged in to my old Outlook/Live account and considering maybe de-googling myself (except for YouTubes) :D
Click to expand...
Elaborate? FF66 onward stops auto play videos for most sites, curious as have no encountered this.
Media keys is blocked: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1411795 also find it annoying.
iPhones just suck. :p (though on Android I only have FF installed due to addblock, Chrome is just so much faster on mobile)
 
Hamster said:
First I installed Firefox Dev edition, ported all my "speed dial links" etc. and used it exclusively for a week (both laptop and phone). Not impressed to be honest: some video playback just don't work, media keys on Mac don't work and on the iPhone it becomes unresponsive. After a decade it still sucks :p

So I installed the new Edge built on Chromium on the laptop and phone (not sure if the phone is the Chromium edition already).
...
Click to expand...
Are you dual booting on a Mac?
If so why? why not just use Parallels or VMWare Fusion?
 
Hamster said:
BUT the browsing experience is pretty good. The default search is Bing and I haven't bothered to change it (not sure if you can) and I have to say I'm not missing Google.
Click to expand...

You can change to google for search on the mobile (iOS) version, I’ve been using it on my iPad and prefer google over bing.
 
I've been using Chromium Edge for about 3 days now and I'm really liking it. I'll probably switch once it gets a proper release.

Mobile ads have become incredibly cancerous, and the Android Edge app is also Chromium and has built-in AdBlock Plus with the ability to disable all ads and not just 'acceptable' ones. Even NewsGuard is built in. It's a far more viable mobile browser than Chrome, which blocks nothing (and even wants to stop ad-blocking extensions on desktop). So for now, Edge on desktop and mobile is looking like the best option for web browsing. Having bookmarks in sync is important.
 
Bryn said:
I've been using Chromium Edge for about 3 days now and I'm really liking it. I'll probably switch once it gets a proper release.

Mobile ads have become incredibly cancerous, and the Android Edge app is also Chromium and has built-in AdBlock Plus with the ability to disable all ads and not just 'acceptable' ones. Even NewsGuard is built in. It's a far more viable mobile browser than Chrome, which blocks nothing (and even wants to stop ad-blocking extensions on desktop). So for now, Edge on desktop and mobile is looking like the best option for web browsing. Having bookmarks in sync is important.
Click to expand...
Have a lifetime subscription to Windscribe VPN with R.O.B.E.R.T adblocking so couldn't care any less.
 
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I installed it just in case Chrome decides to allow ads.


I don't seem to have the collections button. Does anyone else seem to have it?

That seems useful but I just need to figure out how to enable it.
 
backstreetboy said:
Have a lifetime subscription to WIndscibe VPN with R.O.B.E.R.T adblocking so couldn't care any less.
Click to expand...

I'm not interested in running all my traffic through a VPN - especially one that offers lifetime subscriptions. Latency increases, speed decreases and cellphone battery life decreases. And considering that Youtube doesn't get ads for me (Youtube Premium) and it's just my browsers I want to block ads on, a VPN layer is a waste when integrated ad blockers are readily available.
 
skimread said:
I installed it just in case Chrome decides to allow ads.


I don't seem to have the collections button. Does anyone else seem to have it?

That seems useful but I just need to figure out how to enable it.
Click to expand...

I don't have the collections button. I assume it's an upcoming feature as that's the first I'm seeing it.
 
Bryn said:
I'm not interested in running all my traffic through a VPN - especially one that offers lifetime subscriptions. Latency increases, speed decreases and cellphone battery life decreases. And considering that Youtube doesn't get ads for me (Youtube Premium) and it's just my browsers I want to block ads on, a VPN layer is a waste when integrated ad blockers are readily available.
Click to expand...
Haven't had any problems yet and they have servers in ZA as well not to mention there are other apps I use that push ads like Badoo and Whisper etc...
 
Last edited:
lowriderza said:
I keep on trying it out every few weeks. I have a laptop specifically for Windows 10 update previews and so far I'm underwhelmed.

I think the main problem with it in my opinion is that it is sort of trying to do too many different things and not being really good at anything.
Click to expand...

Not part of the update process yet so Can't see how you can claim to have tried the MS Chromium version yet without downloading the beta version separately.
 
Johnatan56 said:
Elaborate? FF66 onward stops auto play videos for most sites, curious as have no encountered this.
Media keys is blocked: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1411795 also find it annoying.
iPhones just suck. :p (though on Android I only have FF installed due to addblock, Chrome is just so much faster on mobile)
Click to expand...

With FF there are embedded video links not playing. Can't remember what the error is but when you Google for a solution you're trying to clear your cache etc. Doesn't work.

iPhones are great OK!!! :p FF became unresponsive sometimes.after it was suspended to the background. Also crashed once or twice.

Was surprised though - On Edge mobile you can turn on Ad Block :D
 
[)roi(] said:
Are you dual booting on a Mac?
If so why? why not just use Parallels or VMWare Fusion?
Click to expand...

I'm not dual booting on anything atm. OSX and iOS although I am considering a PC build so may setup Windows + OpenSuse on there.
 
Geoff.D said:
Not part of the update process yet so Can't see how you can claim to have tried the MS Chromium version yet without downloading the beta version separately.
Click to expand...

I was referring to the "normal" version of Edge sorry. Having read the OP again I realize my post is totally of topic.
 
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