microsoft edge darkpattern/we track you anyway screen?

[wrathofdragon]

Had a friend mention that Edge will randomly pop up every once in a while even though his default browser is chrome and ask if he will agree to things without letting him exit...

I accidentally clicked on "web search" result when looking for something in start menu and this showed up... there is no way to exit or hit cancel. even right mouse clicking and close window dont do anything. only task manager can get rid of the window. "Manage" just lets you choose account to use with windows/microsoft, "Microsoft privacy statement" just opens a read window of the privacy statement. I have never used edge, and the only reason im signed into microsoft is for the xbox game pass..... 

[GoodBytes]

Short answer:
Edge is Chrome but uses MS services over Googles, consumes a bit less memory and easier on laptop in terms of battery life, has improved touch controls, oh and it has all the needed codecs to play nice with all streaming services, including support for 4K HDR Netflix content, which Google refuses to implement. It also brings some nice unique features, like collection (tab grouping), and easy access via a side panel to Bing Chat (ChatGPT 4 with full online access). Everything can be disabled in the settings panel if you don't care. Edge web browser is packed with options (maybe a bit too much these days).

I other words, Chrome with Microsoft touch (good and bad). Google pretty much doesn't care about Chrome, always playing catchup to Edge, or just enjoys the advancements that Microsoft makes to Chromium (where all web browsers using Chromium benefits); Microsoft pushes new features in Edge.

 

I seriously don't see a reason to use Chrome over Edge, beside one preferring Google privacy policy over Microsoft ones (personal preference thing).

 

But yes, under Windows, since Windows 10, everything from Windows will use Edge, even if your default web browser is set to something else. So, search will use Edge.

 

What you are seeing is Edge first time setup screen. I agree there should be "x" and not be full screen like so. I get they want user attention, and the user to take time to read things through and not go "Quick Close! Because I see something unusual". But that is still not a good reason.

[E-waste]

On 10/2/2023 at 10:48 PM, GoodBytes said:

collection (tab grouping)

Firefox does this too, and I would imagine that firefox included it first.  It works nicely on mobile if you want to see your tabs in a list for later.

 

I would like to see Firefox have more than 6.8% market share vs the 66% of chrome, because it has a G in the name.  If it was Google Firefox, then Firefox would have 66%+ market share, guarenteed.

 

Supporting Google, a massive advertising company (which is great for free services, but HOW that data is acquired is what I dislike)

 

Mozilla, who has a irratioanally opinionated CEO, who has the right of free speech, but argues for de-platforming, which is a form of anti free-speech, which is 100% contradictory, supports open-source and increasing tracking protection, just as Apple has done with permissions on their systems.

 

It must be some moronic harmful political message trying to use buzzwords to gain users, but I would imagine people who use open-source or Linux have the ability to think through how to process information, vs just reading something and immediately agreeing with it.

 

That may only be the case with computer software and may not transfer into life-skills, so I'm not saying it makes Linux users smarter, but only more time is spent reading and comprehending the screen contents to resolve more issues than other operating systems present.