6 ms·

Microsoft releasing the Edge browser for Linux

23 points by trollied 6y ago

Minor49er 6y ago
It's incredibly doubtful, but I still wonder if they are also going to have some kind of Internet Explorer compatibility mode. If so, this could be beneficial for web devs that use Linux, but still have to support a userbase that is stuck with IE.
- dublin 6y ago
  Edge isn't IE. At all. It's a fully modern browser that does everything Chrome does, and them some. I need to use a Chrome-based browser for work (too many web app devs write crap code that only runs on Chrome), and I'm working on the prep right now to switch to Edge because it's just better. Not as good as Firefox, mind you, but Edge is now quite usable after years of being a joke. (Although I still think the never-really finished IE11 on Win8.1 offered a glimpse of the best touch/pen browser experience ever, one I'm still waiting for again.) Credit to MS where it's due, though - they finally built a really good browser. Pity it took them decades. Glad they're making it available on Linux, too, just like they did VSCode. The more the merrier...
  - Minor49er 6y ago
    >Edge isn't IE. At all. It's a fully modern browser that does everything Chrome does, and them some. I understand that. I never said anything that implied otherwise. I was curious because Edge has had an IE compatibility mode: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/edge-ie-mode https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/edge-ie-mode
    - sgerenser 6y ago
      I seriously doubt this will make its way to the Linux version. AFAIK the IE compatibility mode is literally running a full IE browser engine in a separate tab. Running this on Linux would require rewriting this old engine to support Linux. Can't see this happening.
skohan 6y ago
I just can't imagine what the appeal of this would be to the average Linux user.
- mongol 6y ago
  It provides options. I will probably try it and if it feels better than Firefox, use it regularily. I do the same on my Android phone.
  - skohan 6y ago
    It just seems that given the state of the market, it takes relatively a lay of effort not to use Windows. So it seems like the number of Linux users clamoring to use MS products is probably small
- MR4D 6y ago
  Well, for one, you’ll be able to run Office in the browser on Linux. Which means one big hurdle for getting off of Windows or Mac if you prefer Linux. Yes, you still are tied Office (cloud), but one step at a time.
leokennis 6y ago
Do any people use Edge voluntarily? I know it’s better than IE6, but still...if you’re on Windows, what does Edge have that is better than Firefox or Chrome?
- kd913 6y ago
  The question is why would people download/install chrome? Edge is built in, it can't be removed, it's updated automatically and is integrated. It has all the functionality of chrome, so why would I download/install another chrome browser when it's already built in? Downloading and installing chrome at this point provides 0 benefits compared with edgeium which is why I think Microsoft's move was pretty smart. It turned Google's main advantages with chrome and throws it straight back at them. It also has specific pen/touch/battery optimizations that aren't present on chrome. That and I would rather more market share goes to Microsoft on the web over Google. Google has more to gain from turning the web into a closed monopoly, and Microsoft is the only realistic competitor (other than really Amazon) who has the resources and investment to maintain a hostile fork that can compete with Google. If Google decides to implement something nefarious like blocking adblockers, Microsoft has the resources to maintain a fork of chromium that is feasible and usable. Firefox the only benefits it has is better quality addons, container support, better customization and better privacy. On my systems I main Firefox, but I am not averse to having edge as my secondary.
  - sgerenser 6y ago
    This exactly. I'm primarily a Mac user, so I've always used and preferred Safari. On Windows I would normally install either Firefox or Chrome. With Firefox kinda going downhill and still having issues with certain sites, one almost needs to have a Chromium-based browser, at least as a backup if not a daily driver. Why would I bother to download Chrome if I already have a good Chromium-based browser preinstalled?
- skohan 6y ago
  I know it aggressively tries to become your default browser on Windows almost to the point of bullying you as a user.
llimos 6y ago
I think they're doing this as a marketing move for the developer community, rather than in any real hope that people will use it. Trying to shore up their geek image. Not that I think that's a bad idea on their part. I do think they've changed, but they also need to be seen to have changed.
user3959257 6y ago
When you download and install Microsoft Edge, information about your device, such as your release channel, basic hardware information, update identifiers, an identifier unique to your device, and a resettable identifier unique to your browser are sent to Microsoft during the installation process [1] Note that you can't reset the device identifier. Note that the use of tje word such is very well though. No word or comma in this document is loosely chosen. IMO, for someone that uses a Google account and services but does not have a Microsoft account, it would minimize the profile that both companies have on you adding the benefit of Chromium sandbox security. 1. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/privacy-whitepaper https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/privacy-whit...
sys_64738 6y ago
I've been using Edge on a Windows machine and prefer it to Chrome. I'm likely to switch to using it on Linux.
metadatabad 6y ago
Who would download a virus like this _knowingly_ onto their system?

23 points by trollied 6y ago

It's incredibly doubtful, but I still wonder if they are also going to have some kind of Internet Explorer compatibility mode. If so, this could be beneficial for web devs that use Linux, but still have to support a userbase that is stuck with IE.

dublin 6y ago
Edge isn't IE. At all. It's a fully modern browser that does everything Chrome does, and them some. I need to use a Chrome-based browser for work (too many web app devs write crap code that only runs on Chrome), and I'm working on the prep right now to switch to Edge because it's just better. Not as good as Firefox, mind you, but Edge is now quite usable after years of being a joke. (Although I still think the never-really finished IE11 on Win8.1 offered a glimpse of the best touch/pen browser experience ever, one I'm still waiting for again.) Credit to MS where it's due, though - they finally built a really good browser. Pity it took them decades. Glad they're making it available on Linux, too, just like they did VSCode. The more the merrier...
- Minor49er 6y ago
  >Edge isn't IE. At all. It's a fully modern browser that does everything Chrome does, and them some. I understand that. I never said anything that implied otherwise. I was curious because Edge has had an IE compatibility mode: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/edge-ie-mode https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/edge-ie-mode
  - sgerenser 6y ago
    I seriously doubt this will make its way to the Linux version. AFAIK the IE compatibility mode is literally running a full IE browser engine in a separate tab. Running this on Linux would require rewriting this old engine to support Linux. Can't see this happening.

skohan 6y ago

I just can't imagine what the appeal of this would be to the average Linux user.

mongol 6y ago
It provides options. I will probably try it and if it feels better than Firefox, use it regularily. I do the same on my Android phone.
- skohan 6y ago
  It just seems that given the state of the market, it takes relatively a lay of effort not to use Windows. So it seems like the number of Linux users clamoring to use MS products is probably small
MR4D 6y ago
Well, for one, you’ll be able to run Office in the browser on Linux. Which means one big hurdle for getting off of Windows or Mac if you prefer Linux. Yes, you still are tied Office (cloud), but one step at a time.

leokennis 6y ago

Do any people use Edge voluntarily? I know it’s better than IE6, but still...if you’re on Windows, what does Edge have that is better than Firefox or Chrome?

kd913 6y ago
The question is why would people download/install chrome? Edge is built in, it can't be removed, it's updated automatically and is integrated. It has all the functionality of chrome, so why would I download/install another chrome browser when it's already built in? Downloading and installing chrome at this point provides 0 benefits compared with edgeium which is why I think Microsoft's move was pretty smart. It turned Google's main advantages with chrome and throws it straight back at them. It also has specific pen/touch/battery optimizations that aren't present on chrome. That and I would rather more market share goes to Microsoft on the web over Google. Google has more to gain from turning the web into a closed monopoly, and Microsoft is the only realistic competitor (other than really Amazon) who has the resources and investment to maintain a hostile fork that can compete with Google. If Google decides to implement something nefarious like blocking adblockers, Microsoft has the resources to maintain a fork of chromium that is feasible and usable. Firefox the only benefits it has is better quality addons, container support, better customization and better privacy. On my systems I main Firefox, but I am not averse to having edge as my secondary.
- sgerenser 6y ago
  This exactly. I'm primarily a Mac user, so I've always used and preferred Safari. On Windows I would normally install either Firefox or Chrome. With Firefox kinda going downhill and still having issues with certain sites, one almost needs to have a Chromium-based browser, at least as a backup if not a daily driver. Why would I bother to download Chrome if I already have a good Chromium-based browser preinstalled?
skohan 6y ago
I know it aggressively tries to become your default browser on Windows almost to the point of bullying you as a user.

llimos 6y ago

I think they're doing this as a marketing move for the developer community, rather than in any real hope that people will use it. Trying to shore up their geek image. Not that I think that's a bad idea on their part. I do think they've changed, but they also need to be seen to have changed.

user3959257 6y ago

When you download and install Microsoft Edge, information about your device, such as your release channel, basic hardware information, update identifiers, an identifier unique to your device, and a resettable identifier unique to your browser are sent to Microsoft during the installation process [1] Note that you can't reset the device identifier. Note that the use of tje word such is very well though. No word or comma in this document is loosely chosen. IMO, for someone that uses a Google account and services but does not have a Microsoft account, it would minimize the profile that both companies have on you adding the benefit of Chromium sandbox security. 1. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/privacy-whitepaper https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/privacy-whit...

sys_64738 6y ago

I've been using Edge on a Windows machine and prefer it to Chrome. I'm likely to switch to using it on Linux.

metadatabad 6y ago

Who would download a virus like this _knowingly_ onto their system?