9 ms·

I honestly think that the new tab/news/spam page in IE/Edge is (and has been, forever) the single biggest factor driving people to Chrome and Firefox. Every tim

by orev 7y ago

I honestly think that the new tab/news/spam page in IE/Edge is (and has been, forever) the single biggest factor driving people to Chrome and Firefox. Every time you open it you’re greeted with all this complete junk, making the whole experience stuttering and slowing down your flow. I dread having to open IE on systems with no alternative just because it’s always so bad. Edge might actually be pretty good, but I will never know it because the initial experience is just so bad.

bigbaguette 7y ago
That, and the in-app "make Chrome/FF the default browser" popup redirecting to a Windows settings page where when you choose anything else than Edge, you get yet another popup asking you to confirm that you really don't want to use the awesome browser that Edge is.
- david-s 7y ago
  All this junk they've been doing to Windows lately is making me feel like a restricted guest in my own computer. I'll definitely be exploring alternatives next go around
  - naikrovek 7y ago
    Why wait?
- naikrovek 7y ago
  If you've used Edge for more than a few minutes, it won't prompt you to "try Edge" or whatever it says. They changed how default programs are set in Windows 10 so that malware can't change default file associations by itself anymore. That required moving away from using the Win32 API for that, and that is kind of the whole purpose of UWP-style apps and The New Settings pages within Windows 10. MOST of Windows 10 has been thought out.
  - olyjohn 7y ago
    You're goddamn right it's well thought out. But it's not thought out in the user's favor at all. Because how many fucking times is it going to ask me "ARE YOU SURE YOU DONT WANT TO TRY EDGE?" "EDGE IS SAFEST" "EDGE IS MADE FOR WINDOWS 10, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SWITCH?" You literally have to click no 3 times just to get your default to something else. None of the other "default apps" do the same thing. And still nothing stopping the file extensions from getting remapped. So that's kinda not thought out.
    - dmix 7y ago
      Nothing worse than being condescending to users.
jasec57322 7y ago
I have always wondered how many big syndicates and governments actually push their malware via the msn homepage. (Given that 99% of sysadmins will at some point be forced via msn, on the malware-portal that is Internet Explorer, to install a proper browser). I really think, even if this isn't happening at scale, that this would be a great way to pwn even some of the biggest firms.
- ptx 7y ago
  Interesting point. It would be safer to launch IE with "iexplore about:blank" from the run dialog.
- Asmod4n 7y ago
  Scareware is distributed via ads on MSN. Normal users cant even close them, as soon as you close that ad it opens again, have to quit IE in the task manager to get rid of it.
userbinator 7y ago
I always set the default page to about:blank as part of the initial configuration in all the browsers I've ever used. Edge is MS's poor clone of Chrome --- it neither appeals to those who actually want Chrome, nor those who want Firefox, nor even those who want IE. Of those I know who don't use Chrome or Firefox (and are not good with computer) but IE, I've heard them refer to Edge as "that weird ugly thing" when they manage to accidentally open it.
SyneRyder 7y ago
Edge lets you turn that off - on the New Tab page, click on the cog symbol (Customize) and you can choose from New Tab page display settings: Top Sites & My Feed, Top Sites, or Blank Page. ChrEdge Beta can hide the news feed if you choose Focused view, but currently all they do is put it after the page fold, so you see it if you merely scroll down. I've sent a Feedback request saying that's something that might keep me using Firefox as my default, and supposedly that's a feature they're working on.
- flukus 7y ago
  > Edge lets you turn that off - on the New Tab page, click on the cog symbol (Customize) and you can choose from New Tab page display settings: Top Sites & My Feed, Top Sites, or Blank Page. I shouldn't have to turn off whatever spam they build into a paid for product. It should also be in the browser settings, not a confusingly placed and easy to miss hieroglyph. For me I don't even get those options, it's just a toggle to turn the news feed on or off, off leaves you with just a search bar, and bing is the only option builtin.
  - elygre 7y ago
    On my windows 10 computer, the browser settings have an option called "Open new tabs with", defaulting to "Top sites and suggested content". This can be changed to "A blank page", right there in the browser settings. On the same computer, on the default start page ("Top Sites and suggested content"), the hieroglyph cog referenced above is conveniently place at the top right, and even has a label, too. It's called "Hide Feed".
  - kirb 7y ago
    Unfortunately Microsoft are the ones who decided to make Windows 10 a free upgrade for Windows 7/8 users, so we all bear the awfulness of them needing to sell sponsored spots in the OS to compensate for that loss of revenue. At least if the OS basically makes money on its own on an ongoing basis, we won’t need to ever pay for Windows updates again? Still, ugh. edit: I’m agreeing with you guys here. I’d spend more on an “ad-free” Windows license if I had a choice, but that doesn’t exist unless you’re a volume license customer (LTSC) I wish they’d find some way to let people avoid the ads, like having them in Home and disabling them in Pro, as most laptops (even my Dell XPS) ship with Home. (They did try “Windows 8.1 with Bing” once. I guess it didn’t work out?)
craftyguy 7y ago
chrome has far more ads, they are just more subtle.
tdhttt 7y ago
Side note, the Edge (not the ChromeEdge) has a nice feature where you can set aside all the tabs so that you can view them later with pretty much the same state, much like a tmux server. I couldn’t find similar features in other browser.
- rrix2 7y ago
  There is a (Firefox and Chrome) WebExtension called OneTab which provides this.
tdhttt 7y ago
What drives me away from Chrome on Windows is the very short freeze you have after you let the page idle for a while and try to scroll again. It was introduced earlier this year, I think.
- browsermostly 7y ago
  That sounds more like your pc has performance issues. I have no short freezes when using chrome on windows.
  - tdhttt 7y ago
    I am using a decent gaming rig, so I don’t think it is the performance issue. I think it might be related to the touchpad. Are you using mouse for scrolling?
    - mschuster91 7y ago
      You might be running into Tab Discarding under memory constraints, the pause is when the tab gets restored. https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2015/09/tab-discarding https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2015/09/tab-discar...
baroffoos 7y ago
Absolutely. Microsoft products are horrendous for this. Every time I have to start up my windows VM to test an IE bug I get assaulted by advertising and "news" in the start menu with bright moving blocks and then I open IE and get hit with it even worse. I don't know why people put up with it tbh.
- grepballsoffire 7y ago
  I kept on wondering why I hadn't seen any of this, and then remembered that I'd installed Classic Shell start menu, which provides a Windows 7 style menu. It doesn't disable the Windows 10 menu, just hides it. Makes for a much more pleasant experience though. (No affiliation)
  - mice 7y ago
    Does it still work reliably? I used it on a Windows 10 machine a few years ago, but then it stopped being maintained: http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8147 http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8147 ... which is a huge shame, as that single app alone made Windows 10 a significantly less frustrating experience.
    - grepballsoffire 7y ago
      There was one windows update around two years ago that broke it, but I just reinstalled it and haven't had any problems since.
    - JohnFen 7y ago
      It's rock solid for me.
    - solstice 7y ago
      It's been replaced by Open Shell which works well: https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu
- tuco86 7y ago
garganzol 7y ago
Hush, you are disclosing the best kept competitive secret of browser wars.
agumonkey 7y ago
To you but I don't think that's true for the laymen. I've seen a few old neighbors that expects a news as homepage. Some people are extremely confused about internet, a webpage, a tab, a link .. a bookmark. A news page sounds logical and/or familiar enough it seems. If you remove it they may even despise you.
- technion 7y ago
  This statement is accurate based on my interactions with general users. It's not just "junk news" though. People can and have been caught out by things like Microsoft tech support scams, fake virus alarms and prominently displayed on the Microsoft news feed. I've reported to Microsoft before direct links to ransomware advertised on their news feed.
  - agumonkey 7y ago
    Oh wow, I'd be shocked if I see this. There's already to many malware vectors to have it from your OS and browser supplier .. Crazy.
GordonS 7y ago
Hah, I totally agree. Every time I see it, I think "what the hell were they thinking?!", or "does anyone actually want to read this drivel?!". It's certainly not exactly a "premium" look.
pixelbath 7y ago
What's fun is that it's even the default on Windows Server systems. Why I'm forced to watch CSS animations on msn.com over an RPD session instead of defaulting to about:blank, I'll never know.
- user5994461 7y ago
  Because the layman windows server user would think the internet is broken if it stayed stuck on a blank page. By the way, it should be easy enough to change the home page with a group policy or something if anybody actually cared about that. Companies usually change the homepage of all desktops to the intranet homepage.

by orev 7y ago

bigbaguette 7y ago

That, and the in-app "make Chrome/FF the default browser" popup redirecting to a Windows settings page where when you choose anything else than Edge, you get yet another popup asking you to confirm that you really don't want to use the awesome browser that Edge is.

david-s 7y ago
All this junk they've been doing to Windows lately is making me feel like a restricted guest in my own computer. I'll definitely be exploring alternatives next go around
- naikrovek 7y ago
  Why wait?
naikrovek 7y ago
If you've used Edge for more than a few minutes, it won't prompt you to "try Edge" or whatever it says. They changed how default programs are set in Windows 10 so that malware can't change default file associations by itself anymore. That required moving away from using the Win32 API for that, and that is kind of the whole purpose of UWP-style apps and The New Settings pages within Windows 10. MOST of Windows 10 has been thought out.
- olyjohn 7y ago
  You're goddamn right it's well thought out. But it's not thought out in the user's favor at all. Because how many fucking times is it going to ask me "ARE YOU SURE YOU DONT WANT TO TRY EDGE?" "EDGE IS SAFEST" "EDGE IS MADE FOR WINDOWS 10, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SWITCH?" You literally have to click no 3 times just to get your default to something else. None of the other "default apps" do the same thing. And still nothing stopping the file extensions from getting remapped. So that's kinda not thought out.
  - dmix 7y ago
    Nothing worse than being condescending to users.

jasec57322 7y ago

I have always wondered how many big syndicates and governments actually push their malware via the msn homepage. (Given that 99% of sysadmins will at some point be forced via msn, on the malware-portal that is Internet Explorer, to install a proper browser). I really think, even if this isn't happening at scale, that this would be a great way to pwn even some of the biggest firms.

ptx 7y ago
Interesting point. It would be safer to launch IE with "iexplore about:blank" from the run dialog.
Asmod4n 7y ago
Scareware is distributed via ads on MSN. Normal users cant even close them, as soon as you close that ad it opens again, have to quit IE in the task manager to get rid of it.

userbinator 7y ago

I always set the default page to about:blank as part of the initial configuration in all the browsers I've ever used. Edge is MS's poor clone of Chrome --- it neither appeals to those who actually want Chrome, nor those who want Firefox, nor even those who want IE. Of those I know who don't use Chrome or Firefox (and are not good with computer) but IE, I've heard them refer to Edge as "that weird ugly thing" when they manage to accidentally open it.

SyneRyder 7y ago

Edge lets you turn that off - on the New Tab page, click on the cog symbol (Customize) and you can choose from New Tab page display settings: Top Sites & My Feed, Top Sites, or Blank Page. ChrEdge Beta can hide the news feed if you choose Focused view, but currently all they do is put it after the page fold, so you see it if you merely scroll down. I've sent a Feedback request saying that's something that might keep me using Firefox as my default, and supposedly that's a feature they're working on.

flukus 7y ago
> Edge lets you turn that off - on the New Tab page, click on the cog symbol (Customize) and you can choose from New Tab page display settings: Top Sites & My Feed, Top Sites, or Blank Page. I shouldn't have to turn off whatever spam they build into a paid for product. It should also be in the browser settings, not a confusingly placed and easy to miss hieroglyph. For me I don't even get those options, it's just a toggle to turn the news feed on or off, off leaves you with just a search bar, and bing is the only option builtin.
- elygre 7y ago
  On my windows 10 computer, the browser settings have an option called "Open new tabs with", defaulting to "Top sites and suggested content". This can be changed to "A blank page", right there in the browser settings. On the same computer, on the default start page ("Top Sites and suggested content"), the hieroglyph cog referenced above is conveniently place at the top right, and even has a label, too. It's called "Hide Feed".
- kirb 7y ago
  Unfortunately Microsoft are the ones who decided to make Windows 10 a free upgrade for Windows 7/8 users, so we all bear the awfulness of them needing to sell sponsored spots in the OS to compensate for that loss of revenue. At least if the OS basically makes money on its own on an ongoing basis, we won’t need to ever pay for Windows updates again? Still, ugh. edit: I’m agreeing with you guys here. I’d spend more on an “ad-free” Windows license if I had a choice, but that doesn’t exist unless you’re a volume license customer (LTSC) I wish they’d find some way to let people avoid the ads, like having them in Home and disabling them in Pro, as most laptops (even my Dell XPS) ship with Home. (They did try “Windows 8.1 with Bing” once. I guess it didn’t work out?)

craftyguy 7y ago

chrome has far more ads, they are just more subtle.

tdhttt 7y ago

Side note, the Edge (not the ChromeEdge) has a nice feature where you can set aside all the tabs so that you can view them later with pretty much the same state, much like a tmux server. I couldn’t find similar features in other browser.

rrix2 7y ago
There is a (Firefox and Chrome) WebExtension called OneTab which provides this.

tdhttt 7y ago

What drives me away from Chrome on Windows is the very short freeze you have after you let the page idle for a while and try to scroll again. It was introduced earlier this year, I think.

browsermostly 7y ago
That sounds more like your pc has performance issues. I have no short freezes when using chrome on windows.
- tdhttt 7y ago
  I am using a decent gaming rig, so I don’t think it is the performance issue. I think it might be related to the touchpad. Are you using mouse for scrolling?
  - mschuster91 7y ago
    You might be running into Tab Discarding under memory constraints, the pause is when the tab gets restored. https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2015/09/tab-discarding https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2015/09/tab-discar...

baroffoos 7y ago

Absolutely. Microsoft products are horrendous for this. Every time I have to start up my windows VM to test an IE bug I get assaulted by advertising and "news" in the start menu with bright moving blocks and then I open IE and get hit with it even worse. I don't know why people put up with it tbh.

grepballsoffire 7y ago
I kept on wondering why I hadn't seen any of this, and then remembered that I'd installed Classic Shell start menu, which provides a Windows 7 style menu. It doesn't disable the Windows 10 menu, just hides it. Makes for a much more pleasant experience though. (No affiliation)
- mice 7y ago
  Does it still work reliably? I used it on a Windows 10 machine a few years ago, but then it stopped being maintained: http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8147 http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8147 ... which is a huge shame, as that single app alone made Windows 10 a significantly less frustrating experience.
  - grepballsoffire 7y ago
    There was one windows update around two years ago that broke it, but I just reinstalled it and haven't had any problems since.
  - JohnFen 7y ago
    It's rock solid for me.
  - solstice 7y ago
    It's been replaced by Open Shell which works well: https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu
tuco86 7y ago

garganzol 7y ago

Hush, you are disclosing the best kept competitive secret of browser wars.

agumonkey 7y ago

To you but I don't think that's true for the laymen. I've seen a few old neighbors that expects a news as homepage. Some people are extremely confused about internet, a webpage, a tab, a link .. a bookmark. A news page sounds logical and/or familiar enough it seems. If you remove it they may even despise you.

technion 7y ago
This statement is accurate based on my interactions with general users. It's not just "junk news" though. People can and have been caught out by things like Microsoft tech support scams, fake virus alarms and prominently displayed on the Microsoft news feed. I've reported to Microsoft before direct links to ransomware advertised on their news feed.
- agumonkey 7y ago
  Oh wow, I'd be shocked if I see this. There's already to many malware vectors to have it from your OS and browser supplier .. Crazy.

GordonS 7y ago

Hah, I totally agree. Every time I see it, I think "what the hell were they thinking?!", or "does anyone actually want to read this drivel?!". It's certainly not exactly a "premium" look.

pixelbath 7y ago

What's fun is that it's even the default on Windows Server systems. Why I'm forced to watch CSS animations on msn.com over an RPD session instead of defaulting to about:blank, I'll never know.

user5994461 7y ago
Because the layman windows server user would think the internet is broken if it stayed stuck on a blank page. By the way, it should be easy enough to change the home page with a group policy or something if anybody actually cared about that. Companies usually change the homepage of all desktops to the intranet homepage.