Edge with Chromium is here, and leaked - who's using it?

[Ryujingt3]

I am sure you've all probably read about this already elsewhere, but yes, a version of the new Edge has leaked for download (75.0.111.0) I am using it to write this in fact.

Even though it's still in beta I am happy with it so far. It connects to your MS account and syncs bookmarks only right now, but other data will be synced in newer versions (according to the MS text). And yes, to me, it looks exactly like Chrome, to me at least, but new Edge seem faster. I can see lots of people moving from Chrome to this Edge if it all goes well like this.

But it's quick to install (and appears as a separate app now to uninstall - no longer part of Windows itself) and you can install all your Chrome extensions in this new Edge and they should work just as you would expect. All the ones I normally use in Chrome work fine in Edge.

You install them from browsing to the Google Web Store and searching for the extension you want and then clicking 'Add to Chrome' (the irony) and then the new Edge pops up asking you to add the extension, just the same as Chrome.

I've not had any major issues with it so far and I can see why Daniel has already made it his main browser. I have as well. The only bug I have found so far is that the option to check for updates seem to be broken and displays an error. Most likely because it is still beta.

Is anyone else using this version and what are your thoughts? I am really liking it.

Also, surely we need an Edge Insider forum section now seeing as MS has launched this program? Are there plans for that?

 

[poit57]

I have a PC connected to my TV in the living room. One of the things that sets Edge apart from Chrome for me is its ability to support surround sound technologies where, as far as I am aware, Chrome is limited to stereo audio.

I don't know if you or anyone else who sees this might know, but does Microsoft plan on continuing that type of advanced audio support in the Chromium-based version of Edge like they currently have in the EdgeHTML version? That is one aspect of Edge that I wouldn't want to see become more like Chrome.

 

[Ryujingt3]

I have a PC connected to my TV in the living room. One of the things that sets Edge apart from Chrome for me is its ability to support surround sound technologies where, as far as I am aware, Chrome is limited to stereo audio.

I don't know if you or anyone else who sees this might know, but does Microsoft plan on continuing that type of advanced audio support in the Chromium-based version of Edge like they currently have in the EdgeHTML version? That is one aspect of Edge that I wouldn't want to see become more like Chrome.

MS have said that all of Edge's own features will make it to the Chromium version. So, I am guessing that yes, it should have your audio feature. Seriously, download and check out the version of Edge Chromium you can get (please search for it). You won't be disappointed.

 

[Thomas Kline]

I have it as my daily driver at work.. Benchmarked it against chrome canary. Edge on Chromium blazes past chrome!! So excited about this browser

 

[agd87]

It's officially been released publicly to the Devs https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/

 

[Ryujingt3]

It's officially been released publicly to the Devs https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/

Yes it has and I am now using it as my main browser on all my machines. I'm surprised nobody else is actually talking about this on here. What with it being a Windows website/forum and everything.

 

[agd87]

I've started using it as my default browser too. It's been very stable.

 

[melhiore]

Started to use new Edge today, so far testing but I see speed difference already comparing to Chrome/Firefox. Microsoft did very good job. I am using Dev edition. Not brave enough to go for Canary... So far so good, very happy...

 

[Ryujingt3]

Started to use new Edge today, so far testing but I see speed difference already comparing to Chrome/Firefox. Microsoft did very good job. I am using Dev edition. Not brave enough to go for Canary... So far so good, very happy...

I am also on the Dev channel and no issues so far. However I do wonder if the Android or iOS version of Edge will be changed someway to incorporate the new version of Edge on PC. However I read that Edge, on Android at least, is built out of Chromium already.

 

[Thomas Jordan]

Syncing of favourites now works between new Edge and Edge beta on android

 

[poit57]

MS have said that all of Edge's own features will make it to the Chromium version. So, I am guessing that yes, it should have your audio feature. Seriously, download and check out the version of Edge Chromium you can get (please search for it). You won't be disappointed.

When I first responded, the new Edge browser was only available as a leaked download and there was advice on one of the Windows Central YouTube videos against seeking out the unofficial download as a security precaution. I received an invite from the Windows Insider program to the official download about a week later and have since been using it as my default browser on all computers except my home theater PC.

Unfortunately, the Dolby advanced audio has not yet been brought to the Chromium version of Edge. This is the message that I get when visiting Dolby Audio Experience which has a demo video with Dolby Atmos audio - played as Dolby TrueHD on my receiver because I don't have an Atmos-compatible receiver.

 

[Ryujingt3]

When I first responded, the new Edge browser was only available as a leaked download and there was advice on one of the Windows Central YouTube videos against seeking out the unofficial download as a security precaution. I received an invite from the Windows Insider program to the official download about a week later and have since been using it as my default browser on all computers except my home theater PC.

Unfortunately, the Dolby advanced audio has not yet been brought to the Chromium version of Edge. This is the message that I get when visiting Dolby Audio Experience which has a demo video with Dolby Atmos audio - played as Dolby TrueHD on my receiver because I don't have an Atmos-compatible receiver.

View attachment 140742

For those having issues with Chrome sites (e.g. Google Meet, Google Docs) in Edge Chromium (i.e. saying you are running an unsupported browser), here's the fix:

1 - Install User Agent Switcher from the Chrome Web Store here

2 - Edit the Google Chrome Windows user agent string to be:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/73.0.3683.86 Safari/537.36

3 - Set the option inside the User Agent Switcher extension to remember the selected user agent at start-up.

 

[nate0]

I've been using it since they sent me the download link last month. When I caught news this was coming I planned to use it and signed up to support the effort.

 

[poit57]

For those having issues with Chrome sites (e.g. Google Meet, Google Docs) in Edge Chromium (i.e. saying you are running an unsupported browser), here's the fix:

1 - Install User Agent Switcher from the Chrome Web Store here

2 - Edit the Google Chrome Windows user agent string to be:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/73.0.3683.86 Safari/537.36

3 - Set the option inside the User Agent Switcher extension to remember the selected user agent at start-up.

It sounds like this tip is to trick a webpage into thinking I'm using Chrome. It doesn't sound like it would do anything toward getting Dolby audio to play through the new browser like it does is the normal Edge browser.

 

[Ryujingt3]

It sounds like this tip is to trick a webpage into thinking I'm using Chrome. It doesn't sound like it would do anything toward getting Dolby audio to play through the new browser like it does is the normal Edge browser.

Did you try it anyway? I'm thinking, if Dolby audio played fine when you used Chrome, and not Edge, then this could produce the same result.

 

[anon(7901790)]

The new Edge has been my daily driver for the past couple weeks. So far it's been solid. I've even disabled Chrome on both my Note 8 and Tab S2, just to see how it syncs across platforms.

The new Edge is fast and it takes up less system resources than Chrome. I love how I can use my Chrome extensions. The OneNote extension is the one I use the most.

I think Microsoft nailed it so far.

 

[nate0]

Does Edge Chromium beta have a sharing button for quick share utilizing mail or other options? Where is it, I can't seem to locate it or maybe it is no there yet....

 

[nate0]

The new Edge has been my daily driver for the past couple weeks. So far it's been solid. I've even disabled Chrome on both my Note 8 and Tab S2, just to see how it syncs across platforms.

The new Edge is fast and it takes up less system resources than Chrome. I love how I can use my Chrome extensions. The OneNote extension is the one I use the most.

I think Microsoft nailed it so far.

Ya I have used several Chrome extensions now with no issues. Chrome may have met there match going into 2020...
Not to mention you can install Chrome webstore extensions but the Edge extensions too right. Can Chrome use the Edge extensions from the Microsoft store ...not that I am aware of.

 

[coreycains]

I haven't used it, but heard from techy friends that it's fast and much better than Google Chrome itself

 

[poit57]

Did you try it anyway? I'm thinking, if Dolby audio played fine when you used Chrome, and not Edge, then this could produce the same result.

I tested the Dolby Experience demo page in Chrome and got the same message directing me to use Edge for the Dolby-encoded audio. The volume control is grayed out in the video player unless you use the normal Edge browser.

From what I could find, about six weeks before the official release of Windows 10, Microsoft announced that "Microsoft Edge is the first browser to include support for Dolby Digital Plus." That support now extends to Dolby TrueHD and Atmos, but as far as I have seen, Edge is still the only browser to include this support.