Microsoft’s new Edge browser launched in January this year, and we’ve spent a lot of time using and getting to know it. The new Edge is built using Chromium source code, the same as another popular browser, Google Chrome. This new browser has had a lot of upgrades compared to its predecessor, and we think it is worth considering making a change. Here are six things we love about using the new Edge browser.
1. Browser Extensions
Edge’s chromium-based browser was made to work with extensions, designed to enhance your browser experience. Essentially, they extend the functionality you can expect from your browser, from what it is like when you first download it. There are a number of extensions available for Edge, and the number is growing all the time.
But perhaps the best thing is that you can add extensions from other sources, such as Google Chrome’s vast selection of extensions. The advantage of doing this is that Chrome has used extensions for years, so Edge users are able to benefit.
2. Collections
When you’re doing research, chances are you’ll have several tabs and windows open. And if you need to close the tabs down (but you don’t want to lose your research), what can you do? Rather than copying the URLs into a Word document, you can take advantage of the new Collections feature in Edge.
Collections let you easily collect information from different websites, organise it, export it into various files or just come back to your research at a later time and pick up right where you left off.
3. Immersive Reader
How often do you try and read an article online, but you get bombarded with ads and popups? Its incredibly annoying, and most of the time you just give up and move onto another article.
Immersive reader gets rid of the distractions, only showing the article you want to read. There’s a lot you can do with it, such as
- Read aloud – you can change the speed and accent of the reader
- Change text size & spacing
- Change background colour
- Split words into syllables
- Highlight nouns, verbs, adjective or adverbs
- Focus on each line individually
Immersive reader makes Edge more accessible to everyone, delivering a useful browser experience.
4. Tracking Prevention
Concerned about your security and data online? Don’t enjoy being ‘followed’ around the internet by adverts from websites you visited in the past? The tracking prevention feature in Microsoft Edge is designed to protect you from being tracked by websites that you aren’t accessing directly, giving you more control over what you see and what you don’t.
Tracking prevention is split into three levels:
- Basic: Allows most trackers across all sites. Content and ads will likely be personalised. Sites will work as expected. Blocks known harmful trackers.
- Balanced: Blocks trackers from sites you haven’t visited. Content and ads will likely be less personalised. Sites will work as expected. Blocks known harmful trackers.
- Strict: Blocks a majority of trackers from all sites. Content and ads will likely have minimal personalisation. Parts of sites might not work. Blocks known harmful trackers.
5. Different Profiles
Having different profiles allows different people to use the same browser, without confusion over being logged into the wrong account. Profiles keep information such as saved passwords, history, extensions and more separate. You could have one profile for your work account, one for any company pages you manage, one for your personal accounts and so on.
There are two types of Edge profile. Local profiles aren’t connected online, so settings are only available on that device. Cloud profiles are connected online, and you’ll need to have a Microsoft account. These allow you to backup your settings and sync data across devices.
6. Easy to Switch
Perhaps the best thing about the new Edge browser is how easy it is to set up for the first time. One of the main reasons people tend to stick to the browser they’ve used for years is because they think it’s a pain to set up a new browser.
If you’re switching from Chrome, you can import your browser data across to Edge. This includes your favourites/bookmarks, saved passwords, addresses, extensions and more. If you were to switch to Edge today, it would take no time at all to get up and running.
Microsoft Edge is a fantastic web browser option, and we feel that the additions Microsoft made make it well worth the switch. If you’d like to find out more about Microsoft products and how they can benefit our business, say hello to ACUTEC today.
