First of all this is not a ‘Charlieesque’ in-depth review of Microsoft Edge, just a summary of my first impressions from spending time with my brother's downloaded installation of Windows 10. (He is even more of a geek than I am. He has to try everything just as soon as Microsoft allows.)
Even though Internet Explorer has improved in recent years, despite its negative history, especially in terms of security risks, Microsoft decided not to rely on IE for its new Windows 10 Operating System. Instead, Microsoft decided to replace Internet Explorer with a totally brand new browser they are calling Microsoft Edge. Microsoft Edge is not just a rebrand of Internet Explorer, rather, it is an entirely new browser from the ground up with significant security and performance aspects. So the question is: “Is it?”
Microsoft Edge appears more modern, cleaner, and seems easier to use than Internet Explorer. I am certain, however, that long-term lovers of IE will feel that the changes are hard to deal with. Upfront it appears to run most websites better. I found that I could use Edge with our Insightful Accountant (behind-the-scenes) webpage which previously never worked with IE, and always required me to use Mozilla Firefox.
I keep saying Edge is ‘cleaner’, and it is. It is less cluttered, well labeled and provides more viewing room for what you really want to see, the webpages you have opened (not the browser). In order to do this it uses a feature that you may or may not like, and one that you certainly must get used to. That feature is the disappearing address bar. I kept wondering, “Where do I go to copy this webpage address so that I can send it in an email to someone?”
Despite being sleek and modern, Edge still seems slow, even performing slower than Internet Explorer, according to PC Magazine. But the redesign affords the capabilities that should allow Microsoft to maximize the speed potential of Edge such that it should be able to outperform its much older brother, Internet Explorer. Microsoft is apparently working on improving the ‘web surfing’ speed of Edge and hopefully those improvements will appear sooner, rather than later.
Do you know that Microsoft issued almost 250 patches for Internet Explorer during 2014 just to deal with vulnerabilities that hackers either did, or potentially could have, exploited? While Internet Explorer’s security related problems resulted from incorporated features like ActiveX, Adobe Flash and Java, Edge has done away with the ‘buggy software code’ of the past. Even though it incorporates plug-ins like Flash, Edge contains a feature to insure all plug-ins are always current with necessary security patches to avoid becoming an avenue of invasion.
What is your experience with Microsoft Edge? Let us know by posting a comment to this article.