back to article Microsoft Edge web browser: A well-presented mea culpa

Edge, the new web browser in Windows 10 that was released on Wednesday isn't just a browser: it's an atonement. Microsoft, it seems, wants to apologize not just for its recent Windows 8, but for the entirety of Internet Explorer. And, surprisingly, Edge turns out to be a great apology. Perhaps the most surprising and welcome …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    In before somebody claims MS paid you to write that.

  2. Fuzz

    CTRL+J

    opens the download manager in most browsers (including edge)

  3. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Facepalm

    "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

    Yes, it's worth uploading all this to Redmond so you can check restaurant times:

    "Cortana is your personal assistant. Cortana works best when it can learn about you and your activities by using data from your device, your Microsoft account, third-party services and other Microsoft services. To enable Cortana to provide personalized experiences and relevant suggestions, Microsoft collects and uses various types of data, such as your device location, data from your calendar, the apps you use, data from your emails and text messages, who you call, your contacts and how often you interact with them on your device. Cortana also learns about you by collecting data about how you use your device and other Microsoft services, such as your music, alarm settings, whether the lock screen is on, what you view and purchase, your browse and Bing search history, and more. You can manage what data Cortana uses, and what it knows about you in Cortana Settings and Notebook. More about the individual features, and how to manage them can be found at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=522360.

    Location services. Cortana regularly collects and uses your current location and location history to give you the most relevant notices and results and to make suggestions that help save you time, such as traffic and location based reminders. Cortana can only work if location services are on, so if you turn them off, Cortana will be disabled.

    Text messages and email. Cortana accesses your messages to do a variety of things such as: allowing you to add events to your calendar, apprising you of important messages, and keeping you up to date on events or other things that are important to you, like package or flight tracking. Cortana also uses your messages to help you with planning around your events and offers other helpful suggestions and recommendations.

    Speech and Input Personalization. To help Cortana better understand the way you speak and your voice commands, speech data is sent to Microsoft to build personalized speech models and improve speech recognition. On Windows devices, Cortana can only work if Input Personalization is on, so if you turn it off, Cortana will be disabled. See the Windows Input Personalization section for more information.

    Apps and services. Cortana uses data collected through other Microsoft services to provide personalized suggestions. For example, Cortana uses data collected by the MSN Sports app so it can automatically display information about the teams you follow. It also learns your favorite places from Microsoft's Maps app so it can offer better suggestions. Your interests in Cortana's Notebook can be used by other Microsoft services, such as Bing or MSN Apps, to customize your interests, preferences, and favorites in those experiences as well. Cortana also allows you to connect to third-party services for additional personalized experiences based upon information you shared with the third-party service. For example, choosing to sign into Facebook within Cortana allows Microsoft to access certain Facebook information so that Cortana and Bing can give you more personalized recommendations.

    Browsing history. If you choose to send your full browsing history to Microsoft in Microsoft Edge (see the Microsoft Edge description in the Windows section of this statement), Cortana can provide suggestions based on the sites you visit in Microsoft Edge. Cortana won't collect information about sites you visit in InPrivate tabs.

    Search history. Your Bing search queries - even if Cortana does the searching for you - are treated like any other Bing search queries and are used as described in the Bing section."

    And this is what Edge uploads...

    "Microsoft Edge is Microsoft's new web browser for Windows 10. Internet Explorer, Microsoft's legacy browser, is also available in Windows 10. Whenever you use a web browser to access the Internet, data about your device ("standard device data") is sent to the websites you visit and online services you use. Standard device data includes your device's IP address, browser type and language, access times, and referring website addresses. This data might be logged on those websites' web servers. Which data is logged and how that data is used depends on the privacy practices of the websites you visit and web services you use.

    Additionally, data about how you use your browser, such as your browsing history, web form data, temporary Internet files, and cookies, is stored on your device You can delete this data from your device using Delete Browsing History.

    New features in Microsoft Edge allow you to capture and save content on your device, such as:

    Web Note: which allows you to create ink and text annotations on the web pages you visit, and clip, save or share them;

    Active Reading: which allows you to create and manage reading lists including websites or documents; and

    Hub: which allows you to easily manage your reading lists, favorites, downloads, and history all in one area.

    Some Microsoft browser information saved on your device will be synced across other devices when you sign in with your Microsoft account. This information can include your browsing history, favorites, saved website passwords, and reading list. For example, in Microsoft Edge, if you sync your reading list across devices, copies of the content you choose to save to your reading list will be sent to each synced device for later viewing. You can control which information is synced (see Sync Settings). You can also disable syncing of Microsoft Edge browser information by turning off the sync option in Microsoft Edge Settings.

    Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer use your search queries and browsing history to provide you with faster browsing and more relevant search results. These features include:

    AutoSearch and Search Suggestions in Internet Explorer automatically sends the information you type into the browser address bar to your default search provider (such as Bing) and offer search recommendations as you type each character. In Microsoft Edge, this feature automatically sends this information to Bing even if you have selected another default search provider.

    Page Prediction sends your browsing history to Microsoft and uses aggregated browsing history data to predict which pages you are likely to browse to next and proactively loads those pages in the background for a faster browsing experience.

    Suggested Sites recommends web contents that you might be interested in based on your search and browsing history.

    Browsing data collected in connection with these features is used in the aggregate and you can turn off any of these features at any time. These features will not collect browsing history while you have InPrivate Browsing enabled.

    In order to provide search results, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer send your search queries, standard device information, and location (if you have location enabled) to your default search provider. If Bing is your default search provider, we use this data as described in the Bing section of this privacy statement.

    Cortana can assist you with your web browsing in Microsoft Edge. If enabled, Cortana will collect your search queries and full browsing history, associated with a user ID. Cortana and related Microsoft services will use this data to learn about you and provide you with timely and intelligent answers and proactive personalized suggestions, or to complete web tasks for you. You can disable Cortana for Microsoft Edge web browsing at any time in Microsoft Edge Settings. To learn more about how Cortana uses data and how you can control that, go to the Cortana section of this privacy statement."

    By the way, Cortana and Edge an excuse for uploading just a small part of your personal data to MS, there are far more... E.g. Bitlocker's recovery key also gets uploaded to the mothership.

    Microsoft Privacy Statement

    1. wolfetone Silver badge

      Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

      Well I hope for your sake no one has told you what Google Chrome's been up to.

      1. Dan 55 Silver badge

        Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

        But you can decide not to download Chrome and the OS on the computer doesn't push you into having a Google account.

        Edge is part of the OS and if you were mad enough to log in with a Microsoft account or create one or maybe even use the built-in e-mail client to log into Outlook.com then a load of apps promptly start uploading stuff to the mothership.

        1. jaywin

          Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

          > But you can decide not to download Chrome and the OS on the computer doesn't push you into having a Google account.

          Have you heard of Chrome OS?

          1. Dan 55 Silver badge

            Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

            Yes. Isn't this Windows 10?

            1. Gannon (J.) Dick

              Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

              Aren't we smug. If you remember, user-useless features started with a 3.1 version credit, so this is really like Windows 6.9 ! Even lower for privacy invasion features !

        2. Wensleydale Cheese

          Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

          "But you can decide not to download Chrome and the OS on the computer doesn't push you into having a Google account."

          That's not what I saw with my Samsung phone.

          It wouldn't download any software updates without a Google account.

        3. Chika
          Big Brother

          Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

          Edge is part of the OS

          Thinking back over the years to when Microsoft insisted that Internet Explorer was part of the OS until somebody proved that it wasn't, and that beta (I love using that term. It really winds MS up!) versions of W10 didn't have Edge at all and still managed to work normally (as far as any beta does), I wonder how true that actually is?

    2. Frank Bitterlich
      Big Brother

      Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

      The most interesting part:

      "AutoSearch and Search Suggestions in Internet Explorer automatically sends the information you type into the browser address bar to your default search provider [...] as you type each character. In Microsoft Edge, this feature automatically sends this information to Bing even if you have selected another default search provider."

      Why?

      1. Dan 55 Silver badge

        Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

        It's the Bing toolbar all over again.

    3. azaks

      Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

      Like you said in a follow up post - if you don't like it, use a local account and disable the offending services.

      There is a broad spectrum when it comes to opinions on privacy - ranging from "I have nothing to hide and don't give a shit if it gives a more personalized and efficient experience" to the tinfoil hat-wearing privacy extremists.

      There are so many ways to track your activities online and tie it back to you personally (for someone suitably motivated and funded), and you need to go to incredible lengths to evade them - which is way beyond the knowledge and amount of effort most are prepared to invest.

      So don't use Win10 and enjoy your heightened sense of privacy, but realize that it is largely an illusion :-)

      1. Anonymous Custard
        Big Brother

        Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

        Also doesn't Edge use cloud-based cookies, which you can't turn off and which will be of course available for MS to use as they wish. Hand in hand with Cortana, we also have

        "...collects and uses various types of data, such as your device location, data from your calendar, the apps you use, data from your emails and text messages, who you call, your contacts and how often you interact with them on your device. ... also learns about you by collecting data about how you use your device and other services, such as your music, alarm settings, whether the lock screen is on, what you view and purchase, your browse and Bing search history, and more."

        And

        "We will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to protect our customers or enforce the terms governing the use of the services"

        I'm reasonably sure at least some of that is illegal under UK laws, and bits are positively Orwellian.

      2. Dan 55 Silver badge

        Re: "It's worth turning on the (potentially) privacy-invading Cortana for that feature alone."

        My privacy is probably largely an illusion, yes. That doesn't mean I see any need to Cc everything I do with MS' operating system to MS just to make sure it is.

  4. jzl

    One Use Browser?

    I use Internet Explorer all the time.

    It's the only browser that works with my company intranet.

    But that aside, it's Chrome or Opera all the way.

  5. Ashton Black

    Well, fair enough. When I upgraded my Surface Pro 3 to WIn10 I kept on using Chrome. But after reading this, I'll give Edge a fair go.

  6. Steve Foster

    Hitherto IE-exclusive feature

    Does Edge support the "external requests reuse the current tab" option that IE has, and is sorely lacking in other browsers? (a large part of my life is running applications that show nice output in a web page, but like to "reload" that over and over again for the slightest change, rather than letting the page refresh - and in anything but IE, that leads to lots and lots and lots and lots of tabs)

  7. David Hall 1

    I tend to agree with the review. But the deal breaker for me is no android version so no forms prefilled / open tab from another device etc.

    Unless they build for android I will never use it on the desktop.

    1. Craigness

      ...and bookmark sync

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Privacy?

    Needs "No Adds" and "No Script" Plug-ins before I'll use it. Back to Firefox...

    1. Sandtitz Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: Privacy?

      Perhaps the lack of adblocking is the reason El Reg is pushing this browser...?

      1. Synonymous Howard

        Re: Privacy?

        Could be but the author did mention the

        Reading View which could do away with Ads (as it does on safari at least).

  9. silent_count

    Twice Shy

    Having spent 15-odd years getting rid of their last browser, I desperately hope that the world knows better than to fall for Microsoft's shenanigans again.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Twice Shy

      I guess you will never know unless you open your mind and try it

    2. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      I'm sorry, are you expecting people to be intelligent and actually remember something from 15 years ago when they aren't capable of remembering all the lies from the previous political candidate's tenure not six months ago ?

      Not gonna happen, m'lord.

  10. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    "with legacy ActiveX-heavy intranet sites designed exclusively for IE."

    And possibly not just intranet sites either.

    Retards that did this sort of thing are like f**king cockroaches.

  11. Iain Cognito

    Microsoft bring you "MS Chromeish" with single OS support (Win-10) and Bing instead of Google.

  12. Tom7

    Or, in other words...

    It's fast but lacks any features you'll need for anything beyond reading text websites. But we're hopeful that Microsoft will do the right thing and fix the problems and fill in the features.

    Just like they did with IE.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    HTML5 performance

    400-odd "of 555 features"

    How many features does it take to deliver a full web experience?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: HTML5 performance

      555, if we assume a "full" experience encompasses all 555 features.

      I'll wager there aren't a great deal of sites that do!!

      1. Neil Barnes Silver badge

        Re: HTML5 performance

        How many features?

        < h1 - 6 >

        < p >

        < i >

        < b >

        < a >

        < img >

        I think that's about it...

        1. Craigness

          I think that's about it...

          ...and < input type="submit" > if you want anyone to know your thoughts

        2. bpfh

          Re: HTML5 performance

          < table >, < tr > and < td >, because displaying tabulated data is an arse with &nbsp; , and < form > to go with the above mentionned < input >...

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If you believe...

    ...Microsucks apology I have some ocean front property in Arizona that you'd be interested in buying.

  15. hplasm
    Coat

    Why the long face?

    Surely it's evident- an apology for an OS would be accompanied by an apology for a browser...

  16. Peter Prof Fox

    Summary

    It's far from finished (stable)

    It's less crap than the previous crap

    From the review: "I've never felt the need for another browser"...."I keep Firefox for...etc" eh?

    Never mind, 5-stars anyway.

    1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Re: Summary

      Agreed. This is the least-persuasive review I've read in a long time.

      Perhaps that's unfair. After reading it I'm largely persuaded that there's no reason for me to ever try Edge. What's it's great advantage? It's better than IE. If I don't use IE now, why would I care? Why pay the opportunity cost and cognitive load of learning a new browser?

  17. Mikel

    Chrome runs on all the things

    Android, Linux, Windows, Mac - Chrome is everywhere. Edge runs only on Windows, therefore it is useless for anybody who also uses something else and wants a consistent browser experience.

    1. kryptylomese

      Re: Chrome runs on all the things

      and let's see if Edge is still quick after 6 months which is about the time everyone ends up rebuilding their Windows machine because it has become really slow and annoying.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Chrome runs on all the things

        hey kryptylomese your comments are improving!

        Still senseless bile without a shred of factual basis, but at least your not telling us that Linux is the most used OS in the universe and we should all migrate everything to it. In a sad, perverted way, I kind of miss it ;-)

        1. kryptylomese

          Re: Chrome runs on all the things

          All those android devices running a browser but not running IE (or Edge) must really make you sad in a perverted way?

          Long and the short of it is blah blah blah Microsoft propitiatory software - let them threaten Governments and we will watch them be told to get lost - their days are numbered because nobody needs to be tied in to their less than great software anymore!

      2. TheVogon

        Re: Chrome runs on all the things

        "everyone ends up rebuilding their Windows machine because it has become really slow and annoying."

        No need to do that anymore. If your Windows 8 or 10 OS gets slowed down by cruftware, you can just 'refresh' the install to clear all the crap without a full reinstall:

        http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-8/restore-refresh-reset-pc

        1. kryptylomese

          Re: Chrome runs on all the things

          The fact that those versions of the operating system have those features should tell you something....

    2. Gannon (J.) Dick

      Re: Chrome runs on all the things

      Seems I remember Chrome got into trouble running over Mac as well as on it.

    3. Timmy B

      Re: Chrome runs on all the things

      Chrome on Android is not a consistent experience when compared with the full version on windows. Not at all.

  18. Jason Hindle
    Pint

    Mostly agreed

    Edge is a fast, pleasant experience at the moment. Will it be the same once they've implemented the rest of the standards, and start allowing plugins? Since my Widows box is really just a plaything, so I get exposure to the latest Windows (my main box is a Mac), I'll probably use Edge exclusively for the time being.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "I've yet to feel the need to install another browser."

    It was crap to start with but is now a lot better.

    However, I found myself often running Internet Explorer because Edge was so slow to load some sites and was inclined to freeze on certain sites. I now have Icons for both on the taskbar.

    In the end, though, IE wasn't enough and I installed Firefox so that I could use Noscript to keep the Ads down to a manageable level. It meant I could browse The Register more easily.

  20. Paul Crawford Silver badge

    Google docs, what about Office 365?

    Is the bad behaviour on Google's cloudy editor, etc, shown also on MS' offering?

    Do MS still push Active-X stuff if they can for Windows browsing of Office365?

    1. Boothy

      Re: Google docs, what about Office 365?

      Wonder what it's like with Sharepoint?

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    DOM Object?

    Does Edge provide the same DOM Object interface for user applications to use like IE does? It's the only time I use IE as a browser engine for a home-brew application.

  22. Camilla Smythe

    Windows 10. Upgrade for 'Free'....

    https://edri.org/microsofts-new-small-print-how-your-personal-data-abused/

    Erm. What's all that about then?

    1. azaks

      Re: Windows 10. Upgrade for 'Free'....

      Not sure - a bunch of links and recycled speculation, but man it rendered fast on Edge!

      "Unique advertising ID..." - FFS, who isn't using that and why is microsoft worthy of special mention?

      Given that the EU has become the defacto litmus test and champion of online privacy, it will be interesting to see if they take issue and impose restrictions on microsoft. I would put more faith in that to see if this constitutes going above and beyond what everyone else is doing.

      1. kryptylomese

        Re: Windows 10. Upgrade for 'Free'....

        Did it render fast compared to what you are used to on a Windows box or have you made a comparison with anything else on the same hardware (numbers would be great if you have them)?

      2. Camilla Smythe

        Re: Windows 10. Upgrade for 'Free'.... I am slayed

        Good point azaks

        Missing my possible misinterpretation of your possible point you are correct. In the interests of competition we need someone else in the market to screw us over harder than the present incumbents.

  23. sgrudge

    Even Microsoft support staff reccomend not using edge

    Had to contact support, using the new app, they sent me a link to follow to allow a remote connection, they said paste it into IE not edge as it does not work in edge ;(

    1. sabroni Silver badge

      Re: they sent me a link to follow to allow a remote connection

      Sounds like IE has a security hole and Edge doesn't. Why would you want your browser to be able to allow remote access to your machine?

  24. P. Lee
    Meh

    So I could upgrade to the latest and greatest

    and spend my time disabling all the privacy-invading features I don't want and hope no-one turns them on again by default.

    Or I could stick with what I have, using FF's "Search" box when I want to search the web and my local OS' "search" box when I want to search locally.

    For a long time I've thought IE just looks like a dog. It is just too ugly for words. Forget the security flaws, quirky rendering, hated unified url/search box etc, I just thought it was kind of ugly and wasted desktop space. I felt as though some horrendous GUI-design errors were made but I just couldn't put my finger on them. Chrome slurps data too, but it was just a bit prettier.

    I feel the same way about W10 (and W8). I don't feel the need for the extra features and oh my word how I hate the flat interface. In the interest of balance I dislike IOS' appearance more than I did too. I think we've got to the point where any OS will do the tasks required of it. Perhaps I'm a dinosaur, but I don't feel the need for social media integration, I think application-level and GUI-level file-storage integration is stupid (hello dropbox, hello KDE/SMB) and with a five mb/s net connection and a local server, the cloud holds little or no attraction for me.

    So that leaves me with file-storage on a file server and a split-tunnel VPN, imap email (remember when email had its own protocol?) and sshfs. I feel slightly sorry for MS - I'm not sure that there is anything that would tempt me back. KDE is pretty, Steam and MythTV are entertaining, NFS may not be the most secure protocol, but its fast and its just my home network, MariaDB may not be the world's best database, but I've used it for years and never once had a problem. Netatalk provides OSX backups, SAMBA does Windowsy-type stuff, though I usually NFS-share and run Windows in a VM. I don't feel as though I'm missing anything except the odd game, but seeing as I haven't even played all my linux ones, I'm not too fussed. I do feel that if I went with Windows I might get a little more polish on some apps, but I'm likely to lose a lot of features. Its the same with OSX. Still no iscsi initiator, Apple? Work out what is actually important. Live simply, live cheaply.

    Its not me, its you. You act as though we're married but we aren't. You're ugly to look at and your character has changed, its no longer my personal computer, you seem to think that just I allowed you to install some software on my hardware, you can take what you like and give it to your boss. Your data-slurping is uncouth. Just because all the other kids are doing doesn't mean you should too. Now, to quote Raymond Stevens, "Get your tongue outta my mouth, cos I'm kissing you goodbye."

  25. Daniel Voyce

    If you open Internet Explorer

    Does it still do that obnoxious thing of asking to be set as the default browser? Because that would be a serious oversight on Microsoft's behalf!

    1. largefile

      Re: If you open Internet Explorer

      Every time I update ANY Adobe product and many others the check box for Chrome is already checked for me. At least Microsoft asks and the check box is unchecked BY DEFAULT. No surprises at all.

    2. sabroni Silver badge

      Re: Does it still do that obnoxious thing of asking to be set as the default browser?

      You mean like every browser does until you check the "don't ask me again" box?

  26. jaduncan

    "The only time I encountered this problem was with Google Docs, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, don’t work well in Edge. It's also surprisingly hard to change the default search engine from Bing to Google, which together with the Google Docs failure feels almost deliberate."

    DOS ain't done till Lotus won't run?

  27. Joerg

    Both Windows10 and Edge just plain suck!

    Maybe Microsoft is spreading some nice gifts to get some people so pleased about the crap they are selling now...

    Anyway Windows10 is just Windows 8.2 and it is beyond atrocious. The awful unusable Metro/ModernUI mess is still there and Microsoft added a lot of spyware stuff to the OS like never before.

    The OS is beyond buggy. It is full of useless services active by default. The UI is a huge mess. Icons, windows... everything sucks.

    And the Edge browser is a silly joke. Most of the times it just doesn't work.

    The whole Windows10 thing is a an absolute awful shame!

  28. David Webb

    It's also surprisingly hard to change the default search engine from Bing to Google

    Click the ... button

    Settings

    View Advanced Settings

    Search in the address bar with...

    Not all that difficult to switch search providers?

    My only issue with Edge is that it takes around 10 seconds for bbc news to load up.

    My +++ of Edge is when you right click / view source, well, I won't spoil it but I assume developers are going to love that functionality.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    I won't be used Edge until Ad blockers are available

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      No ghostery either so no thanks,

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How much of Windows 10 continues to work without an internet connection? It'd be very interesting to know what components of Windows beyond the expected browsing and auto-update start to break or refuse to work when they can't channel all your personal information to Microsoft.

    And wtf is Microsoft planning to do with all of this data? Because I can tell you now that any company I suspect of using personalised targeted advertising at me is a company that will receive none of my cash.

    1. TheVogon

      "Because I can tell you now that any company I suspect of using personalised targeted advertising at me is a company that will receive none of my cash."

      I take it you don't use any of Google's services, websites, search engine or other products then?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @TheVogon - Google has never received a penny from me. Is that difficult to understand?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          re: Google has never received a penny from me

          Maybe not directly, but they've made a fair few with your data and the data from millions of others.

        2. TheVogon

          "Google has never received a penny from me. Is that difficult to understand?"

          Well yes, as even visiting Google.co.uk will give them revenue from your activity. Whilst it's possible you have never done that, it doesn't seem likely or credible...

  31. WereWoof

    The Microsoft Windows Experience now includes a charge for Windows games if you want them Advert free.

    1. largefile

      Were wolf....of those games they are charging to make ad free...which is your favorite? Which ones can't you live without!

  32. Sil

    Edge seems fine so far

    Edge seems fine so far, what I don't like is the absence of choice for the downloads (default location and such) and the automatic loading of PDF documents in the browser whereas I'd rather use an external application.

    More experience is needed, as it asked me one time after that if I wanted to use an external app, but then it went back to opening in the browser.

    Most glaring omission is support for extensions.

    I've been using Chrome and IE side by side for years for the simple fact that I need a spellchecking extension, which works only in Chrome and not in IE. Otherwise, with rare sites not working, I've been using IE without trouble and frankly did not see any downside compared to Chrome, or all the others that I use on and off: Firefox and Opera mostly

    .

    I guess I'll do the same now, swapping Edge for IE.

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How pathetic

    There should be laws against selling defective goods. Oh wait, there is but no one enforces them.

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Edge too slow for me

    I'm not a Microsoft hater, like kryptylomesem, but as a marketing professional I wouldn't have released Edge. Releasing software before it is ready is what killed Blackberry. And Edge clearly isn't ready for primetime yet. I've found it pretty stable and very fast for corporate sites without ads. However, any news or shopping sites are generally much, much slower because of all the ad scripts. On balance then, Edge is slower for me in real life than IE. Advertising works best when it is true and Microsoft marketing this browser as faster compared with IE just isn't true.

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