Definition of Microsoft Edge

Two were the main problems that plagued the veteran browser Web (browser) Microsoft's Internet Explorer: first of all, its technical gaps due to the baggage of years and legacy code to maintain backward compatibility, and that made it slow and heavy software, consuming-consuming- Many resources and does not reach the velocity from its direct rivals like Chrome and Firefox.

On the other hand, secondly and as an unwanted effect inherited in good part from the first aspect, the safety of the browser was highly questioned; security breaches were constant and seriously compromised the integrity of the operating system Windows.

It is for all this that Microsoft thought to do clean tab and start over with a completely new browser, which he called Edge.

Note that Edge has no source code relationship with Internet Explorer, so even plug-ins are not supported.

In this way, it is much easier for the Redmond company to correct errors and security problems, to the point that Edge It is much more reliable than Internet Explorer, although it does not have as many add-ons at its fingertips (despite the fact that these grow day by day). day).

One of the main technologies that Edge dispenses with is ActiveX, widely used by IE as well as highly criticized in terms of security. This has been changed by a system of extensions more in line with the use in other browsers.

These extensions are downloaded centrally, like those of Google Chrome or Firefox, which facilitates their control for security tasks.

At the compatibility level, Edge can run on Windows 10 both on PC and mobile devices, as well as on the operating system of the Xbox game console.

In Windows 10 it still coexists, and for compatibility reasons, with Internet Explorer, although they are two differentiated applications and we can use one of them without even touching the other.

The reason for their coexistence is to facilitate the use of online applications that still use ActiveX control technology, although this tends to die in favor of HTML 5. Still in many companies and organizations Applications are used that require the installation and use of ActiveX controls through the old Microsoft browser.

Initially, and when it was still a project, the Redmond company baptized it with the name of Spartan, which was changed to the Edge brand name when it was released packaged with Windows 10.

The objective of the Redmond company is, logically, that Edge becomes the only browser of the company, to the detriment of Internet Explorer, which will not be evolved.

However, and due to its great use, especially in the corporate environment, IE will still receive updates from security for a long time, that although they will not update their functionalities, they will allow to move away intruders.

Technologically, Edge uses a derivative of the rendering engine already used by Internet Explorer, Trident, which is called EdgeHTML. It breaks with the previous one in many aspects, it is faster and more stable, and it does not keep compatibility with IE, although yes with the international HTML5 standard, and offering superior performance over its predecessor and on par with the the rest browsers From the market.

It also integrates a Flash player and a PDF file reader, so that we do not need external software to perform these functions, and similarly to what other companies do with similar products that represent a competence for Edge.

Another issue that Microsoft seeks to address with the introduction of Edge is the loss of market share of Internet Explorer.

This occurs, above all, in the consumer market, and to a greater extent with end users migrating to Google Chrome and, to a lesser extent, Mozilla Firefox.

The Format of "reading" is very aimed at this segment of the audience, eliminating unnecessary elements on a page, such as the advertising, to be able to read it comfortably.

Although there is still a very large user base using Internet Explorer, Edge's user base is growing by the day.

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Themes in Microsoft Edge