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Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

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Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#41

Post by a_e_k »

jwells89 wrote: post #11

It’s unfortunate that MS took Edge down this path. Early on it was among the best of Chrome-cousins and I’d just leave it as the default browser on new Windows installs, but with all they’ve done to it’s become a solid downgrade and I’m back to installing alternatives.

It's crazy. A year ago I changed jobs to a company invested in the MS ecosystem. When I got my Windows machines, I decided to give Edge a fair chance and left it as the default.

I gave it a few months, but I'm now back to good old Firefox.

(And I'm getting ready to give up on {New,} Outlook and go back to Thunderbird too. I'm sick of the paper cuts and I've wasted so much time fighting it to do what I want.)

Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#42

Post by OldGuyInTheClub »

Krssst wrote: post #39
OldGuyInTheClub wrote: post #17

One more: My employer (gigantic corporation) mandates Microsoft. Edge is the default browser. We cannot change it. The browser option is grayed out, we are not allowed extensions, nor do we have access to the Registry. Firefox is still allowed for the moment. We have to manually copy and paste links into it from emails, etc.

For e-mails, you could try using the web version of Outlook from Firefox.

I have tried that. The Outlook365 web interface is worse than the desktop version for searching and many features either don't exist or are clunky to use. Have to pick my poison but poison all the same.

Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#43

Post by xtracto »

cwales95 wrote: post #13

MS just comes off desperate with their tricks trying to con users into using Edge. Then again, Chrome is no better with their attempts to dominate the web and force their own standards on other browsers to make ads harder to dodge. Aside from Firefox, there's really not many other browsers I trust.

I find these articles quite funny because in my experience Edge is way of a better browser than Chrome. So much that I ended up installing it in both my work and home laptops running Linux (mint)

Edge gives me functioning vertical tabs with grouping , side by side tabs and web screenshot snapping tool out of the box.

Also the right side are with "favorites" or frequently used sites is great to anchor Phind and Protopage

Chrome just feels half baked to me at this point.

Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#44

Post by Krssst »

OldGuyInTheClub wrote: post #42
Krssst wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For e-mails, you could try using the web version of Outlook from Firefox.

I have tried that. The Outlook365 web interface is worse than the desktop version for searching and many features either don't exist or are clunky to use. Have to pick my poison but poison all the same.

I only ever used the web version and found it okay. I like being able to use extensions against my mails (however they seem to randomize element IDs in the DOM so I cannot use uBO to remove annoyances).

Is search fast in the desktop version? That's the main reason I stay with webmails.

Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#45

Post by Krssst »

ceeam wrote: post #40
Krssst wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least you can always uninstall Chrome.

Not on Google-made OSes, no. Like most Androids.

Indeed. Living without Android seems mostly feasible however, while living without Windows looks quite difficult (meaning: more jobs require Windows than Android).

And Android is not pushing me ads for Chrome, it's basically like older Windows where it's installed but not an annoyance once we installed another browser.

Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#46

Post by pjmlp »

surgical_fire wrote: post #33
pjmlp wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are the only castle left standing, for all practical purposes Firefox no longer matters, given its market share and Mozzilla's agenda making the world a better place or whatever they are doing now.

The irony is that Mozilla could make the world an objectively better place by being laser-focused in turning Firefox into the best browser possible. Taking away Chrome's marketshare and making a dent in Google's absolute power in the web should be their only goal, instead of whatever they diversified into.

Indeed, instead they decided to be an NGO that does a browser as side project.

Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#47

Post by DedlySnek »

jwells89 wrote: post #11

It’s unfortunate that MS took Edge down this path. Early on it was among the best of Chrome-cousins and I’d just leave it as the default browser on new Windows installs, but with all they’ve done to it’s become a solid downgrade and I’m back to installing alternatives.

> Early on it was among the best of Chrome-cousins and I’d just leave it as the default browser on new Windows installs

Yes! I remember installing the leaked version before the official launch and being really impressed on how fast it was. The UI was also a welcome change. But over time they've added so many unwanted features. It just feels so bloated and slower than chrome now.

Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#48

Post by butz »

Could someone, probably EU, start working on proposal that Microsoft should ship unbranded fork of Chromium with Windows, which can be used by user to install their favorite browser, or keep using this basic browser if they want? We could go even further, and move all browser vendor customizations to extensions, so if you want to be in Microsoft ecosystem (Edge) - load up specific extensions. Love Google? We got you covered. What fun it would be to finally use Apple accounts on Windows. But at the core everyone starts with the same basic, secure, privacy respecting base browser. I'll talk about interchangeable browser engines in the upcoming post.

Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#49

Post by hnlmorg »

surgical_fire wrote: post #33
pjmlp wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are the only castle left standing, for all practical purposes Firefox no longer matters, given its market share and Mozzilla's agenda making the world a better place or whatever they are doing now.

The irony is that Mozilla could make the world an objectively better place by being laser-focused in turning Firefox into the best browser possible. Taking away Chrome's marketshare and making a dent in Google's absolute power in the web should be their only goal, instead of whatever they diversified into.

Firefox is already the best browser on the market in my opinion. Containers alone achieves this.

The problem is that Mozilla doesn’t own a leading OS. So theyre always going to be an “also ran”.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that the only way to succeed in build a successful browser is to build a successful operating system.

Re: Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

#50

Post by hnlmorg »

Barrin92 wrote: post #37
Terretta wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meanwhile we clamor to the EU to force Apple to let Chrome replace Safari on their otherwise vertically integrated iPhone.

I'll always support user choice and that is the only thing Apple will be forced to allow. It's extremely bizarre to justify vendor lock-in on the basis of popularity. Imagine if Microsoft would prohibit you from using Google search on Microsoft devices and force you to use Bing and anyone would justify this on the basis that Bing is unpopular.

Windows is the dominant desktop OS though. So that would be abusing their market position on the desktop.

It’s about locking competitors out via owning the leading market in other parts of the dependant ecosystem. If MS didn’t lead the market in desktop operating systems then it wouldn’t matter what search engine they defaulted too.

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