Microsoft Provides Sneak Peek of Edge on Mac, 16 Years After Safari Replaced Internet Explorer [Update: Now Available]

[macduke]

Nah, I’m good.

I’m fine with Safari since they added browser icons. Crazy how such a little thing prevented me from using it for so long. I didn’t trust Google so I used Firefox for the longest time. I only keep Chrome open for my Google logins for work related things, or for the occasional Google search. Then Google isn’t tracking me in my other browsers since I use Duck Duck Go most of the time and have a lot of blockers.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Some may dismiss this as "only" a Chromium browser, but I think it could be popular amongst those who would rather trust their data to Microsoft than to Google.

Maybe, but Microsoft doesn’t have the best privacy record either. Windows 10 is trackers galore.

 

[mikethemartian]

I try to stick to Safari but there are some websites it doesn’t work with so I have to switch to Chrome or Firefox for those sites.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Maybe, but Microsoft doesn’t have the best privacy record either. Windows 10 is trackers galore.

It's not much different than iOS, really. And as a Windows 10 developer, those crash logs are a godsend when it comes to debugging issues.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

It's not much different than iOS, really. And as a Windows 10 developer, those crash logs are a godsend when it comes to debugging issues.

I’m taking about these privacy violations. iOS doesn’t do any of this without asking. That’s not to mention the privacy setting apparently resets to default tracking after every major update.

 

[definitive]

I'm not sure if Microsoft needs a web browser at this point, but having one based on Chromium is a step in the right direction, because most if not all of us can agree that Internet Explorer and Edge were awful browsers. This will at least get those who rely on Microsoft's browser to experience the web the same way everyone else is.

 

[newdeal]

Not sure when it happened but after some os update I found safari really started acting horribly and slowly on my 2017 macbook pro. I switched to chrome at that time but wish that Apple would fix safari. Not sure why I would ever want to use edge. I don't even use it on Windows machines

 

[xnatex]

You still get a lot of IE11 users? Gross. I feel bad for you.

Yup. It’s horrible. And most of our users aren’t very tech savvy.
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I have my doubts. I still occasionally run into bugs which only show up in one particular browser on one particular platform... such as Firefox on Mac (but not Windows) or Chrome on Windows (but not Mac).

Which is why I have a VirtualBox VM running Windows 10.

I also have my doubts. But one can dream, right? Haha

 

[BuffaloTF]

Finally. The best browser on Windows is coming to Mac. Even the early dev builds people can use now are far and away superior to every other Chromium browser; and the list of things they chopped off is staggering -- things the Brave team wondered about but left in when building their browser. With any luck, Brave will move to Edge as their baseline and go from there. They've already provided over 150 improvements back to Google to fold into Chromium.

 

[brofkand]

Finally. The best browser on Windows is coming to Mac. Even the early dev builds people can use now are far and away superior to every other Chromium browser; and the list of things they chopped off is staggering -- thinks the Brave team wondered about but left in when building their browser. With any luck, Brave will move to Edge as their baseline and go from there. They've already provided over 150 improvements back to Google to fold into Chromium.

I am using Edge Canary on my Windows 10 box at home - I am liking it a lot.

 

[jameslmoser]

"The new Edge will use this same list to determine when to use Internet Explorer."

Sounds like this will be on Windows and just use the IE 11 app core to display a new IE 11 tab in Edge.
Probably not in the Mac version.

Actually in another article I can't find right now they do say they are supporting it on the Mac version as well... along with some enterprise customization features. They used to release IE on mac, so I doubt it would be very difficult for them to accomplish this.

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

Something literally nobody asked for or wanted, thanks for spending the time MS

Actually I wanted exactly this. I want a cross platform browser that is very compatible without sucking down my data like crazy. So Safari is out. FireFox for me is always broken in some way, features or websites that have issues. Chrome/Google no thanks.

This version of Edge is the best solution, for me, right now. I also use Office 365 so this will tie into it better than the rest.
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Semi-tangential observation: I think it's somewhat sloppy that the dock in the macOS screenshot above includes Microsoft Office apps that do not have the most up-to-date icons. You would think that a video coming from Microsoft itself would highlight the newest versions of its own flagship products.

That screenshot serves as a great "nutshell" reminder of some of the fundamental differences between Apple and Microsoft.

Yes because UI consistency in MacOS is stellar.
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Not sure when it happened but after some os update I found safari really started acting horribly and slowly on my 2017 macbook pro. I switched to chrome at that time but wish that Apple would fix safari. Not sure why I would ever want to use edge. I don't even use it on Windows machines

This has happened to me a dozen times in the last 10 years on Mac's. I want to use Safari but some update (OS or Safari) will break something or slow it down/not respond enough for me to use FireFox or Chrome. Apple takes their sweet time to fix it.
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My main browser is Firefox with Safari for a few select sites.
I have to ask WHY?
Why would MS devote resources to doing this when the penetration amongst Mac Users will be very small.
Why would I contanimate my MacBook with this POS?

A good number of us don't want anything to do with MS when it comes to MacOS.

Also, does it 'phone home and slurp'? If it does, which master gets the data? Microslurp or Google?

Simple. If you support Mac's in the enterprise then you are probably running MS Office on them. This will become the default browser in Windows when the next version rolls out. Enterprise will use GPO's on Windows to control this browser. Having the same exact experience on my Mac for the Enterprise is something most would want. Also the settings, bookmarks and passwords will sync to the iOS and Android versions of Edge, making it a complete solutions.

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

Look! It’s a rebranded Chrome browser! Real original guys. How much did these engineers get paid for this project? Lol

 

[Futurix]

Back in early 2000s we had tons of browsers that were shells for Internet Explorer engine, and now we have tons of browsers that are shells for Blink engine.

From one monoculture to another. People never learn.

 

[SeaFox]

This is a good thing. I typically have IE, Chrome, and Firefox open at any given time. I hate playing the "where's the refresh button" game. They move too many basic features around between each browser.

Have you thought of just learning how to use the keyboard shortcut? Most browsers have standardized ones.

 

[halluxsinister]

Microsoft has kicked off its annual Build developer conference in Seattle with a preview of its upcoming Edge web browser for Mac.

In a blog post detailing new features coming to Edge, which is being rebuilt with the same open source Chromium rendering engine as used by Google Chrome, Microsoft provided a sneak peek at how the browser will look on macOS. While only a brief glimpse, the browser looks somewhat similar to Chrome.

Microsoft shipped its first preview builds of its revamped Edge browser for Windows last month, but the browser remains listed as "coming soon" for macOS. The Verge believes the Mac version will be available "very soon," likely including both the Canary and Dev channel builds as on Windows.

Edge will be Microsoft's first web browser on the Mac since Internet Explorer received its last feature update nearly 16 years ago. Internet Explorer was the default web browser on the Mac between 1998 and 2003, when Apple released Safari on Mac OS X Panther, which has been the default ever since.

Edge succeeded Internet Explorer as the default web browser on Windows in 2015 and is also available for iOS and Android.

Article Link: Microsoft Provides Sneak Peek of Edge on Mac, 16 Years After Safari Replaced Internet Explorer

Just what my Mac needs... a new attack vector for malware.

My Mac needs Microsoft software like it needs to be tossed into some hot, dirty bathwater, with lots of salt, while turned on and plugged into line-voltage.

Nein, aber danke schön. No, pero gracias. No, thank you.

 

[Spacetime Anomaly]

I really hope the team developing this refer to themselves as Edgelords.

 

[derekamoss]

I am using Edge Canary on my Windows 10 box at home - I am liking it a lot.

Same here. If they port most of the features over from the edgehtml browser it will be perfect. It's far superior and more efficient to chrome already.
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Look! It’s a rebranded Chrome browser! Real original guys. How much did these engineers get paid for this project? Lol

Not really. It's already a lot leaner and more resource efficient than Chrome. It has built in application guard which I really like and when they port over more features from the other Edge it will be a lot better. Scrolling is so much better even.

 

[Morgenland]

I try to stick to Safari but there are some websites it doesn’t work with so I have to switch to Chrome or Firefox for those sites.

...and soon you will be forced to use Edge for MS stuff...

Microsoft Support:
Troubleshooting Office 365:
1. Use Microsoft Edge

 

[Glockworkorange]

Some may dismiss this as "only" a Chromium browser, but I think it could be popular amongst those who would rather trust their data to Microsoft than to Google.

There are a lot of Chromium based browsers...

 

[Morgenland]

Back in early 2000s we had tons of browsers that were shells for Internet Explorer engine, and now we have tons of browsers that are shells for Blink engine.

From one monoculture to another. People never learn.

Monoculture is great because it simplifies website creation.
What limits do you have with webkit and html5?
Do you prefer Edge to be able to enter M$, Chrome to invite Google, ...?

Why variety, which forces you to install several browsers which all do penetrate your OS?

 

[yesjam]

Yes because UI consistency in MacOS is stellar.

Where isn't it stellar?

 

[mfvisuals]

...because most if not all of us can agree that Internet Explorer and Edge were awful browsers. This will at least get those who rely on Microsoft's browser to experience the web the same way everyone else is.

Agreed. Internet Explorer especially was/is hot garbage.

My theory on why it was so widely adopted for so long is because it came stock with Windows and uneducated end users didn't realize there were/are much better alternatives out there.

It also doesn't instill confidence in a "browser" when you hear things like this:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/micro...t-a-browser-so-stop-using-it-as-your-default/

 

[BWhaler]

I love Safari. It’s great in my opinion.

I don’t understand why anyone would select a different browser.

I get competitive tech companies want to control the home portal in a web app world, but consumers, with Safari as good as it is, and Apple’s rock solid reputation for privacy and its fight against Facebook, Google, Amazon, ad network spying, why would you use anything but Safari?

 

[uniquexoxo]

In my industry there are still dinosaur companies who only develop for Internet Explorer and not Chrome and Safari. So this would be welcome, although not solving the problem of the short sighted dinosaur developers.

I agree with this. I don’t think a lot of people knows, but there are still a lot of big companies from various industries such as financial and customer service who only uses IE/EDGE in their office.