When Microsoft Windows 10 Build was announced, there were many amazing things that the company mentioned will be included in this update.
Among them are iOS and Android code running on a Windows Phone device, Visual Studio for Linux and Mac, as well as Holograms that are capable of attaching to physical robots. However, the most amazing of all is the new Microsoft Project Spartan browser.
In the latest Windows 10 Build, the company has done away with the Project Spartan name and now there is a new name for the browser, which is Microsoft Edge. This web browser comes in to replace the usually referred to as “boring” Internet Explorer and with it, there are lots of new features to exploit. There are also lots of innovations that include Cortana integration, page markup, among others. The good thing with Microsoft Edge web browser is that it’s universal across all devices running on the latest Windows 10.
Despite the fact that IE had received lots of updates as far as speed and performance are concerned, this web browser still remained one of the most reviled web browsers. You will still see the ‘e’ that was common with IE, but this is not the same Internet Explorer browser that you once knew. The browser runs on a new page-rendering engine known as Edge. This engine is far much better than the old Trident engine when it comes to speed as well as compatibility with the latest web platforms such as HTML 5.
Even though Microsoft Edge is set to replace IE, users of Windows 10 will still be able to access the services of IE 11.
So, why should everyone try out this latest Microsoft Edge web browser?
Browser extensions
Extensions are not very hard to come by in many Web browsers. However, the latest Edge browser comes with something different as users can access full Chrome and Firefox-style extensions. According to the latest word on the street, the same HTML and JavaScript standard code used on Firefox and Chrome will be used on developing browser extensions for Edge users. Users will also have a Reddit extension that lets them vote on stories as well as another extension on Pinterest for sharing pages. This update is expected to come at a later time after launching of Windows 10.
New tab page
It has come to be a common thing for users to hit the bar at the top of the browser when they want to open a new tab. This feature was available in IE and it still maintains its place in the latest Microsoft Edge browser. However, you will get more from this new tab feature, for instance, app suggestions, sports scores, weather as well as other video suggestions. While there is no present or visible address bar, you can still type your URL in the search bar and get the same results.
Cortana
The new voice assistant feature for Windows 10 is almost everywhereyou turn and with Edge, it is also present. Cortana will be visible on pages that have sensible directions via the browser toolbar and with this feature you will be able to access more information about the place. Right clicking on any selected text will prompt Cortana to find out more information about this specific selection.
Reading mode
The Reading Mode has been available on a number of top web browsers that include Safari.However, it is the first time that it is appearing in a Microsoft-based application. Using this feature, you can strip out all the irrelevant content on a webpage besides the main text and photos, for instance, sidebars and ads. In this way, you can easily read what you want without any distractions.
Page annotations
This is a new feature to the web browsing platform. Even the top browsers such as Chrome, Safari and Firefox have not incorporated the feature on their platforms, but it is coming with the new Microsoft Edge web browser.
Using the page annotations feature, it is possible to mark up web pages with the help of a drawing tool or rather a highlighter. The highlighted pages can then be shared with friends on social media apps or via an email as an image file.
Bottom line
The new Microsoft Edge browser is full of promise and has great potential. The speed is now faster, support is more standard than before and with the new extensions and additional features, this browser is truly headed in the right direction. The best part of it all is that the same experience will be evident across all devices using the Edge browser.
To try the Microsoft Edge browser now, join the Windows Insider Program first and install the latest Windows 10 Build.
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