Should I Switch to Microsoft Edge? 

Internet Explorer’s security and performance issues enabled third-party Web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox to gain a significant portion of market share over the years. With the introduction of Windows 10, Microsoft looks to bring users back by replacing Internet Explorer with Edge, a new browser built from the ground up. While it brings in enough features to the table to make it a worthwhile competitor, it also has certain issues that may prompt you to stick with your current Web browser.

Simple User Interface 

The first thing that you’ll notice is Microsoft Edge’s simplistic user interface that puts it more in line with the competition. In Edge, you get an address bar that you can comfortably use as an omnibar, a centralized location that shows your favorites, reading lists, history and downloads, and a Settings side-panel that displays all of the browser’s configuration settings.

More Speed 

Microsoft replaced Trident, the engine that powered Internet Explorer, with the EdgeHTML engine for its new browser. Thanks to efficient coding of the engine, Edge features significant speed gains when compared to its older counterpart, and also comes in close to Chrome and Firefox performance-wise, especially in areas such JavaScript rendering.

Cortana Integration 

Cortana’s heavily integrated in Microsoft Edge as it is in Windows 10. As your personal assistant, Cortana enables you to find specific websites and contact information while also letting you get access to in-depth information on anything that you may come across while surfing the Internet. Cortana also has to ability to deliver personalised information based on your habits, which increases the more you start using the Web browser.

Advanced Security 

Edge retains certain security features that were implemented in Internet Explorer over the years, such as sandboxing to prevent to prevent malicious content from highjacking the browser, an inPrivate mode that enables anonymous browsing, and Microsoft’s SmartScreen technology to filter malware and phishing sites. In a welcome move, Edge gets rid of ActiveX controls, a type of scripting language that plagued Internet Explorer with security issues.

Reader View 

When it comes to stripping away distractions on ad-heavy websites so that you can actually read stuff, Edge’s Reader View mode does the job for you. If you are a Firefox user, you won’t miss this feature since the Web browser already has Reader View implemented by default, but it’s worth taking a look into if you use Chrome.

No Extension Support 

Edge doesn’t support extensions, though Microsoft has implied that it may get extension support in future updates. Since extensions have become an integral part in Web browsing, Edge loses out on this front to rivals Chrome and Firefox where both browsers support a large library of extensions. For example, if you want to block advertisements in Edge, you are out of luck.

No Cross Platform Support 

While you can find Chrome and Firefox on pretty much any platform, Edge has yet to become available on devices that don’t support Windows 10. Since both Chrome and Firefox are available on nearly all major platforms, you are out of luck if you want cross-platform synchronisation on OS X, Android and iOS devices.

Edge in a Nutshell 

Edge comes close to Firefox and Chrome in terms of speed, performance and security. Unfortunately, the lack of support for extensions and cross-platform synchronization puts the browser well behind its competition. While Edge can prove useful for light browsing sessions, hardcore Web surfers have no reason to switch to Microsoft’s new Web browser.