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Microsoft Launches Beta Version of Microsoft Edge Browser for Windows and macOS

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Microsoft today announced the launch of a beta version of its upcoming Microsoft Edge browser, which is available today for Windows and macOS users.

Previously, the Microsoft Edge browser was available as a preview build, but Microsoft has now graduated to an official beta. Microsoft's beta channel represents more stable software than the preview channel.

microsoftedge-800x450.jpg

Microsoft has said that its aim with Microsoft Edge is to create better web compatibility with better performance for customers while making sure there's less fragmentation of the web for web developers. During the preview period, Windows and Mac users downloaded Edge more than a million times, and Microsoft received more than 140,000 individual pieces of feedback to improve the browser.

Microsoft Edge for Mac is designed to be similar to the Microsoft Edge experience on Windows, but with "user experience optimizations" that are designed to make it feel more Mac-like.

The beta version of the Edge browser features new personalization options, such as tab page customization, dark theme support, and extensions from the Microsoft Insider Addons store or other Chromium-based web stores like the Chrome Web Store.

Tracking prevention has been added to protect users from being tracked by websites, built-in Microsoft Search for Bing, and Internet Explorer mode with Internet Explorer 11 compatibility.

Microsoft is also expanding its Microsoft Edge browser security program to the beta channel, offering rewards of up to $15,000 for the discovery of high-impact vulnerabilities.

The new Microsoft Edge beta can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft website. There's still no word on when the Edge browser will see a launch, but it's likely there will be a few more months of beta testing before that happens.

Article Link: Microsoft Launches Beta Version of Microsoft Edge Browser for Windows and macOS
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2019/08/20/microsoft-edge-beta-macos/
Look forward to trying it out. The preview builds have run a lot better than Firefox does on my 2012 Mini.
 
x-evil-x said:
Wasn’t this already out? I’ve been using it for months
Click to expand...

This is in the Beta channel, before it was just Canary and Dev. Public release should be in the next couple of months I would guess.

My guess is Ignite 2019 will be the launch timeframe, so November, for stable channel.
 
rjohnstone said:
Why would you say that?
There is no proprietary features like the old IE days.
Its compliant with all current web standards.
Click to expand...

It's also more monoculture, though.

These days, "web standards" are largely whatever Google deems worthy of pushing through the consortium. They 'conveniently' already have a working implementation, and the W3C has basically given up on a proper standardization process, instead calling HTML a "living standard". It's gotten a lot harder for Mozilla and others to compete.

(The story is more complicated than that, and Microsoft sure isn't innocent, but yes, losing a browser engine is a net loss.)
 
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you know, I used to make fun of this a year ago . . . but the more I've looked into google's practices (not to mention ad blocking changes) and have taken more consideration into my own web privacy, I've realized this isn't a bad thing. Chrome is a powerful browser, but a poor choice regarding privacy. More options like this will add to the fight to make the web a better place.
 
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rjohnstone said:
Why would you say that?
There is no proprietary features like the old IE days.
Its compliant with all current web standards.
Click to expand...
It's not so much about browser standards compliance, it's more that the most popular rendering engine (Blink, used by Chrom/e/ium, Opera and now Edge) is effectively controlled by a non-neutral party. Sure, it's "open source", but ultimately Google calls the shots.

It's also worth mentioning, Chrome is bloated with a huge amount of non-standards, some of which Google utilises to give it an advantage over other browsers when using Google products. Use YouTube in Chrome, then try running it in Firefox - you'll see different behaviours.

I strongly discourage anyone from using Chrome, there are better browsers available - especially on the Mac. While I'm sure Microsoft will be carrying out data collection too, I trust Microsoft with my data a lot more than Google.
 
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Although I prefer Safari to both Chrome and Edge, I'm going to download this anyway just so I can do web development testing on it.
 
I like Edge on Windows 10. It’s not as good as Firefox/Chrome/Safari but it has gotten good enough to not have to install another browser just to avoid a terrible experience. In my opinion Edge was a big downgrade from IE11 for a long time.
 
tito2020 said:
i rather trust microsoft than google
Click to expand...
Microsoft and Google are in the same business. At least for common customers.
Just have a look into Windows 10 and all the creepy things it does. It goes far beyond normal telemetric data and application updates. Use Wireshark, on a fresh installed Windows 10 - it connects to several ad networks and data miners. You have to explicitly opt out an endless list of privacy related features, to get your Windows silent. 99% of all customers are unaware about that an uses Windows out of the box.

Microsoft isn't any better than Google. They are just not that "successful" in doing the same ****.
 
edtorious said:
Has anyone tried yet to see if Netflix will stream 4K using this browser on Mac?
Click to expand...
Not sure how to tell if it is falling back to HD, but I can select and play movies from the 4K area.
I fired up Planet Earth II and the video quality was stunning.
 

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edtorious said:
Has anyone tried yet to see if Netflix will stream 4K using this browser on Mac?
Click to expand...
rjohnstone said:
Not sure how to tell if it is falling back to HD, but I can select and play movies from the 4K area.
I fired up Planet Earth II and the video quality was stunning.
Click to expand...
I do not see the 4K or the HDR logo come up (in the top right corner) but the graphics are stunning.
 
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Thank god. This should have happened years ago.

There are still companies in my industry who's websites only function properly on Edge.

Now we can also test websites without needing Parallels or similar.
 
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