Microsoft is making changes to its Windows 10-only Edge Browser by adopting the Chromium open source project, the same web rendering engine that powers Google Chrome. As part of this move, Microsoft is also bringing Edge browser to MacOS and letting Windows 7 and Windows 8 users install the browser too.
Microsoft said it intends to align the Microsoft Edge web platform simultaneously with web standards used by other Chromium-based browsers to deliver improved compatibility by creating a simpler test-matrix for web developers.
“Today we’re announcing that we intend to adopt the Chromium open source project in the development of Microsoft Edge on desktop to create better web compatibility for our customers and less fragmentation of the web for all web developers,” wrote Joe Belfiore, corporate VP of Windows, in a blog post.
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“As part of this, we intend to become a significant contributor to the Chromium project, in a way that can make not just Microsoft Edge, but other browsers as well, better on both PCs and other devices.”
Belfiore argues that this move is for the benefit of users, IT departments and developers, but most will point to the fact that Internet Explorer has remained the more popular browser since Edge was released three years ago. According to Net Market Share, Internet Explorer is the second most popular browser with an 11% share of the market, whereas Edge was less than half of that with a pitiful 4%.
Both of those numbers look pretty poor when compared to the most popular browser, Chrome, which enjoys a 63% share. And, those percentages are just for desktop browsers.
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It’s a significant move towards the open source community and an intent to collaborate with the likes of Apple, Google and anyone else who also commits changes to Chromium.
“Microsoft Edge will now be delivered and updated for all supported versions of Windows and on a more frequent cadence,” added Belfiore. “We also expect this work to enable us to bring Microsoft Edge to other platforms like macOS.
“If you’re part of the open-source community developing browsers, we invite you to collaborate with us as we build the future of Microsoft Edge and contribute to the Chromium project. We are excited about the opportunity to be an even-more-active part of this community and bring the best of Microsoft forward to continue to make the web better for everyone.”
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