On January 15, the day after officially ending extended support for Windows 7, and after months of testing, Microsoft released the long-awaited version of the Microsoft Edge browser based on Chromium, an open source project launched by Google in 2008 and which it is the basis of many other browsers on the market, including the most popular today, Chrome, as well as Opera, Vivaldi and the Yandex Browser. In this article we explain the difference between Chrome and Chromium, a very recurring question .
Regarding Microsoft Edge, in case you don’t know yet, this is the browser that Microsoft has adopted as the replacement for Internet Explorer, which in its best years took up 95% of the browser market, achieved in 2002, mainly due Microsoft’s strategy of making it the standard Windows browser, an approach used since the launch of the browser in 1996.
In the case of Edge, the strategy remained, this is the browser that accompanies Windows, it made its debut in 2015 along with the launch of Windows 10, but so far has not reached the relevance expected by Microsoft, currently holds a share of market of only 5.65%, even behind Explorer, which still accounts for 7.42%. With the new version of Edge, based on a completely new structure, EdgeHTML comes out and Chromium and the Blink rendering engine enter, we can say that it is a renaissance for Microsoft’s browser, a way of trying to make it more competitive.
Microsoft explained this in its blog that the idea of changing the engine seemed to provide better compatibility for users and web developers. Joining the Chromium community also involves working together to improve the engine. The low popularity of the browser was also cited, and, officially, it is said that the reason was the low popularity of the browser. In addition, stopping the development of your own mechanism and switching to one that is already ready is a way to contain costs.
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| Even the logo has changed! |
The previous version, based on EdgeHTML, has been completely removed from the market, and now you can only get Microsoft Edge based on Chromium. It is available for Windows 7, 8 / 8.1, 10 and also for macOS, Android and iOS. If you are using Windows 10, the new browser will be available via Windows Update.
With the adoption of the new platform, Microsoft Edge gains a face more than Chrome, in the visual part, but it is good to emphasize that it is not a type of clone of Chrome, Microsoft made some specific technical changes, in addition to offering three levels of protection against user tracking, a solution that Chrome is still considering. Of course, in Edge, the default search engine is Bing, the pivoted navigation mode is also available (InPrivate mode).
With the move to Chromium, Edge benefits from the huge number of extensions compatible with Chrome. It is a situation similar to what Microsoft could take advantage of with the decision to return to the smartphone market with devices based on Android system. Leaving Windows Mobile aside and adopting the most used mobile system on the market, your devices will benefit from all the applications already developed for this system, in addition to providing the user with a platform since it is very well accepted.
The new Microsoft has its own extension repository, but you can also access the Chrome Web Store and choose an extension. The installation process is identical to what you already do in the Google browser. Microsoft says that Edge will be updated about eight times a year, that is, every 6-8 weeks. It depends not on Microsoft, but on Chromium. Edge, like Chrome, must adapt to the engine’s update scheme. In the case of Chrome, it takes up to 10 weeks between its new edition and its implementation in the browser.
