Edge gets extension support and Microsoft working on tools to allow most chrome extension to work with edge.

[Master Disaster]

So MS pushed Win 10 build 14291 to insiders a few days ago and as part of this update they rather quietly added the beginnings of extension support to its new edge browser.

 

 

Quote

I am excited to share that we have shipped the first preview release of Microsoft Edge with extensions support to Windows Insiders.

 

Since the beginning of the Microsoft Edge project, our roadmap has always included extensions in order to support a vibrant community of developer innovation on top of the browser, enabling new and interesting scenarios for our customers. As we have also shared, one of our highest priorities is to ensure that Microsoft Edge is the safest, most reliable and fastest browser we could build, and our experience over the past 20 years has taught us that poorly written or even malicious add-ons were a huge source of security, reliability and performance issues for browsers.

 

With this in mind, we have built Microsoft Edge so customers can add extensions to the browser with the confidence that they will operate as expected.

 

To ensure the highest quality experience for customers, and as we have done with Windows 10 since the beginning, we will introduce extensions first to our Windows Insiders and then roll them out more broadly to all Windows 10 users.  Initially our Insiders will download and then sideload extensions for testing purposes, but ultimately we will make extensions available to all of our customers via the Windows Store to ensure the quality of the end-to-end experience.

 

The Windows Insider build will include three preview extensions: Microsoft Translator, an extension that automatically translates pages in over 50 different languages, a Mouse Gestures extension, and an early preview version of the popular Reddit Enhancement Suite (RES).  Later this year customers will find popular extensions from partners like AdBlock, Adblock Plus, Amazon, LastPass, Evernote and more.

 

Microsoft Blog

 

 

Earlier today MS Employee Jacob Rossi tweeted that they were working on the tools to allow any chrome extension to be run in Edge.

 

 

Quote

 

News about the Microsoft Edge browser’s addition of extension support has captured several headlines in the past week. Rounding out the week, an engineer on the Microsoft Edge team revealed that alongside the release of last night’s Windows 10 Insider Preview build that brought early support for Edge extensions, the team is also working on a tool that will port existing Chrome extensions to the browser.

 

So, in addition to the three current extensions Microsoft has released for Edge and the ones it promises will arrive later this year for the browser, users can also expect to see existing Chrome extensions get ported over as well.

 

WinBeta

 

 

 

 

I gave edge a chance but I just couldn't like it, I'm so used to FF and how it works that my brain just couldn't get used to a new browser (I've used FF forever, heck I even used Netscape Navigator over IE back in the 95/98 days).

 

This is a necessary addition but I just don't see it make long term users migrate.

 

I might try edge again when Redstone 1 drops.

[minibois]

That's good, but really should have been something it had on day 1 (at least the extension support)

This will make Microsoft Edgy Edge a compelling browser for many people.

[Castdeath97]

Being late on such a essential feature is shameful and disappointing.

[patrick3027]

Too little too late

[LokiFire]

Edge is actually a surprisingly good browser, especially vs Chrome... Chrome eats resources still.

[Misanthrope]

This is interesting. My work laptop I can't touch but being Windows 10 I find myself with edge being almost usable.

[Master Disaster]

1 minute ago, LokiFire said:

Edge is actually a surprisingly good browser, especially vs Chrome... Chrome eats resources still.

Firefox beats them both IMO. As I said in the OP though, in my case that's based solely on familiarity, I've used Chrome & IE loads but I know Firefox backwards so when I want something its much easier for me to find it.

 

I reckon that's the issue with edge,  not that its a bad browser per se, just that most people have used either FF or Chrome exclusively for so long and are so invested in that pkatform they just don't have any incentive to switch now, and Cortana is a nice novelty but it's just not enough.

[LokiFire]

Just now, Master Disaster said:

Firefox beats them both IMO. As I said in the OP though, in my case that's based solely on familiarity, I've used Chrome & IE loads but I know Firefox backwards so when I want something its much easier for me to find it.

 

I reckon that's the issue with edge,  not that its a bad browser per se, just that most people have used either FF or Chrome exclusively for so long and are so invested in that pkatform they just don't have any incentive to switch now, and Cortana is a nice novelty but it's just not enough.

I use Chrome... it's my go to browser.

[Master Disaster]

1 minute ago, LokiFire said:

I use Chrome... it's my go to browser.

Most of my friends and my mum uses Chrome too, in my experience its seems to be more popular than FF.

 

I just can't live with its RAM chewing, its not necessary to use that much for so little work.

[SurvivorNVL]

I use chrome because I never thought I could see a program use so much ram for only 200 tabs.

[Doobeedoo]

Great, finally. Edge should've had extension support on W10 release but oh well, at least it's here now. Was bumped about it one W10 release. Well, can't wait.
Using Opera and it works flawlessly.

[Tieox]

About damn time Microsoft, what took you?

[jaggysnake57]

Give me Adblock and last pass and I'll give it a chance

[suicidalfranco]

nothing will take me off of FF and Opera

[Dabombinable]

8 hours ago, LokiFire said:

Edge is actually a surprisingly good browser, especially vs Chrome... Chrome eats resources still.

Yep. The only problem for me however has been the lack of extensions support-and that has now changed to just a lack of extensions.

[byalexandr]

HOLY FUCK

 

MICROSOFT. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FEATURE FOR ALMOST A YEAR! THANK YOU

 

I CAN NOW USE EDGE 4 LYFE

 

Edit: Shit I need to be an Insider... Oh well, might as well start the Insider builds again if I get extension support (finally).

[AlTech]

4 hours ago, byalexandr said:

HOLY FUCK

 

MICROSOFT. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FEATURE FOR ALMOST A YEAR! THANK YOU

 

I CAN NOW USE EDGE 4 LYFE

 

Edit: Shit I need to be an Insider... Oh well, might as well start the Insider builds again if I get extension support (finally).

Same. Now I can use Edge. I don't need chrome anymore.

[LAwLz]

Well that's one of the things that is keeping me from changing off the list. Only ~20 more things they have to add/change before I will consider it a decent browser.

[Nowak]

And then I'm sitting here using Vivaldi... which has full Chrome extension support already and has had that since forever ago.

[Dabombinable]

1 minute ago, Daring said:

And then I'm sitting here using Vivaldi... which has full Chrome extension support already and has had that since forever ago.

i was using it at one point-but the amount of shortcut keys that were mapped to the keys which are used for typing....I kind of got too frustrated.

[Nowak]

Just now, Dabombinable said:

i was using it at one point-but the amount of shortcut keys that were mapped to the keys which are used for typing....I kind of got too frustrated.

Jon von Tetzchner is someone who believes in controlling the browser with the keyboard, but the one keyboard shortcut I had the most trouble with (backspace = go back a page) doesn't seem to work anymore. Hoping it stays that way, or they rebound it to something else.

[HelplmChoking]

I already use Edge on my SP4, since it saves battery, saves RAM, and performs much more smoothly. If the extensions become available (and if I can PIN TABS!!!!) It'll be on my desktop too.

[LukeTim]

On 3/19/2016 at 7:12 PM, LokiFire said:

Edge is actually a surprisingly good browser, especially vs Chrome... Chrome eats resources still.

Chrome uses a lot of RAM deliberately. They use extensive caching so that browsing is very fast.

In my experience it works.

[DEDRICK]

Edge is really good for watching Twitch streams, it uses almost no CPU unlike Firefox or Chrome which use up to 30% on a 4970K for a 1080p player window

 

Livestreamer is the only thing that uses less than Edge

[GoodBytes]

Firefox doesn't have as smooth scrolling as Edge, and still needs work on high DPI support, and doesn't have smooth zoom, or multi-touch support. Not to mention that Firefox mobile web browser is awful. At least with Chrome, you have your stuff sync between systems. Same as Edge. Then again Edge is not on Android or iOS.

 

Anyway, my point is that all web browsers have their downsides.