Microsoft to include Chromium in Windows 10 (Edge will use Chromium engine, which Chrome extention support)

[GoodBytes]

24 minutes ago, bigmoney said:

Ok what am i missing here? I'm not seeing any information that Microsoft is replacing Edge with Chromium.

 

A couple of microsoft devs just made some commits adding ARM64 support to Chromium:

https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/q/owner:Tom.Tan%40microsoft.com

https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/q/owner:jkunkee%40microsoft.com

 

Which doesn't mean anything. Devs contribute to open source projects all the time.

 

Did you guys even read the article? 95% of it is speculation, backed up by nothing.

No that is a different news, reported by the same person from the same site (Windows Central).

Microsoft is working in bringing Chromium to Windows 10 for ARM, so that it has another web browser, beside Edge that can natively run that OS version.

 

You won't see Microsoft employee working on Chromium., They are just taking the Chromium engine and replacing Edge engine (EdgeHTML) with Chromium one (Blink).

[GoodBytes]

Just now, dalekphalm said:

While some (a very minor amount of) people might actually like the Edge UI and layout, frankly, that's one of it's biggest problems. It's just not a great UI, and is missing a lot of common features/UI elements we take for granted elsewhere.

 

So if Microsoft simply takes Edge as-is, and replacing the rendering engine without changing anything else?
 

1. Hardly anyone will notice

2. Hardly anyone will switch back to it

3. Hardly anyone will like it any more than now

 

If Microsoft wants to increase browser marketshare, replacing the Engine is insufficient for the task at hand.

I think the idea, is that now the Edge team can focus on the front-end, and not on the back-end, and bring more compelling features to Edge web browser.

[dalekphalm]

1 minute ago, GoodBytes said:

I think the idea, is that now the Edge team can focus on the front-end, and not on the back-end, and bring more compelling features to Edge web browser.

I truly hope you're right. Because as-is, I only use Edge for the Apple Business Manager, and that's only because it doesn't work right except on Edge or Safari.

[GoodBytes]

So I was thinking... if Edge uses Chromium engine, it no longer relies on Windows 10 releases.

This means that not only updates of the web browser can be delivered instantly, meaning bugs and issues can be solved quickly, and not have to wait for months on end until the next version of Windows, but it would also allow Edge on Apple computers, Windows 8 and Windows 7. Something that Microsoft is clearly open to do, as they have made Edge for iOS and Android.

[GoodBytes]

Well... while still no info is revealed.. Microsoft announces the Edge Insider program that will soon start and you join, for the "next version of Edge"

https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/

 

HA!

Clicking on "Learn more"

Microsoft says:

Quote

Microsoft Edge will now be delivered and updated for all supported versions of Windows and on a more frequent cadence. We also expect this work to enable us to bring Microsoft Edge to other platforms like macOS.

 

And:

Quote

We will move to a Chromium-compatible web platform for Microsoft Edge on the desktop. Our intent is to align the Microsoft Edge web platform simultaneously (a) with web standards and (b) with other Chromium-based browsers. This will deliver improved compatibility for everyone and create a simpler test-matrix for web developers.

So there you go, you have the proof that this news (Edge to use Chromium) is official!

[Sauron]

On 12/4/2018 at 3:09 AM, dalekphalm said:

I'm pleased by the announcement. However, I still have concerns.

 

Mainly, UI. The Edge UI is just... not very appealing, frankly. It strayed too far from the "traditional" browser UI, and lost some usability in it's quest for simplicity.

 

So, I hope the new Chromium based browser will use a UI at least a little bit closer to standard Chromium - slap some MS logos on it, and maybe match the style of buttons, etc, to the Windows 10 style.

 

I also hope it's compatible with Chromium add-ons - in theory you might even be able to use Chrome Store add-ons, since you can already use those on regular vanilla Chromium.

 

I would seriously consider using it, assuming it had:

Chrome/Chromium extension support

Browser sync (bookmarks, extensions, passwords, etc)

A pinnable bookmarks bar

And bonus: integration with Office365/OneDrive, etc.

But then, why not just... use chromium?

[Uttamattamakin]

In case no one has pointed it out... consider the pedigree of Chromium.  

Chromium's Blink engine is basically a fork of Web kit.
Webkit was chosen by apple for Safari and by google for chromium early on.

Webkit came from ......

A LINUX browser called Konqueror which was the default browser of the KDE project.  

In a sense LINUX WINS eventually.  Maybe Edge will come back to Linux? 

[MadmanRB]

11 minutes ago, Uttamattamakin said:

In case no one has pointed it out... consider the pedigree of Chromium.  

Chromium's Blink engine is basically a fork of Web kit.
Webkit was chosen by apple for Safari and by google for chromium early on.

Webkit came from ......

A LINUX browser called Konqueror which was the default browser of the KDE project.  

In a sense LINUX WINS eventually.  Maybe Edge will come back to Linux? 

Yes and its quite a lineage much like gecko.

 

EdgeHTML however might have had too many ties to trident thus why microsoft may be giving the ghost on it, plus the popularity of Edge is too low for them to really develop it farther.

[Uttamattamakin]

21 minutes ago, MadmanRB said:

Yes and its quite a lineage much like gecko.

 

EdgeHTML however might have had too many ties to trident thus why microsoft may be giving the ghost on it, plus the popularity of Edge is too low for them to really develop it farther.

Well yeah.... the edge HTML engine is done.   

Chromium based Edge could live on any platform that Chromium does.  If MS is smart at all they would make their derivative of it a version that respects privacy and DRM on all platforms, at the same level, at the same time.  

[dalekphalm]

3 hours ago, Sauron said:

But then, why not just... use chromium?

Because they can integrated useful Windows features into it, that Chromium doesn't have.

 

Besides, the point is not to just use Chromium, the point is to have a wider variety of actually useful browsers to choose from. Besides, let's see what Microsoft can bring to the table.

[Nowak]

And so, another piece of Microsoft's legacy goes by the wayside.

[ZacoAttaco]

On 12/6/2018 at 8:51 AM, dalekphalm said:

Fanboys exist for every ecosystem my friend.

 

Linux is great for many things - there's absolutely no denying that. But to say Windows has always been garbage? That is actually absurd.

That is such a Linux fan boy comment, 'Windows has always sucked'. It wouldn't be as popular as it is if 'always sucked', I wish Windows 10 was a bit better but still.

4 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

So if Microsoft simply takes Edge as-is, and replacing the rendering engine without changing anything else?

 

1. Hardly anyone will notice

2. Hardly anyone will switch back to it

3. Hardly anyone will like it any more than now

 

If Microsoft wants to increase browser marketshare, replacing the Engine is insufficient for the task at hand.

It's quite a task to regain market share at this point, especially if it's exclusive to Windows devices. Microsoft were late to the party with Windows Phone, they lead the way early on with Internet Explorer but then they refused to innovate while Firefox and Chrome progressed past it. Then when it's too late they realise they need a competitive browser (even though...they really don't), they need to have a default browser, which can download a Firefox or Chrome installer

[dalekphalm]

1 minute ago, ZacoAttaco said:

That is such a Linux fan boy comment, 'Windows has always sucked'. It wouldn't be as popular as it is if 'always sucked', I wish Windows 10 was a bit better but still.

It's quite a task to regain market share at this point, especially if it's exclusive to Windows devices. Microsoft were late to the party with Windows Phone, they lead the way early on with Internet Explorer but then they refused to innovate while Firefox and Chrome progressed past it. Then when it's too late they realise they need a competitive browser (even though...they really don't), they need to have a default browser, which can download a Firefox or Chrome installer

Actually Edge is available on both iOS and Android - though I don't believe it's available on Linux, nor macOS. Though to be fair, Linux Desktop marketshare is so small as to be almost irrelevant to browser marketshare. macOS is marginally better, but I think a browser being Windows and Mobile only is not really a big deal in terms of potential marketshare.

[ZacoAttaco]

9 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

Actually Edge is available on both iOS and Android - though I don't believe it's available on Linux, nor macOS.

Wow, I actually had no idea Edge was available on mobile, clearly, thanks for that. Credit to Microsoft where it's due. Is there are Chromium mobile application or will the new Chromium-based browser have to be built from scratch?

[dalekphalm]

4 minutes ago, ZacoAttaco said:

Wow, I actually had no idea Edge was available on mobile, clearly, thanks for that. Credit to Microsoft where it's due. Is there are Chromium mobile application or will the new Chromium-based browser have to be built from scratch?

I assume there's an Android version of Chromium, but I have no idea.

 

I don't believe there's an iOS version, since all iOS browsers actually use WebKit (Safari rendering engine) - and that includes Edge, FF, and Chrome.