It’s So Underrated!

I’ve been on the lookout for a new browser for a long time and one browser I constantly go back to is Edge, it’s just such a simple and fast browser, I fully understand all the advertising that Microsoft does to persuade you to try it out for yourself.

At the beginning of the year, I made the decision to switch to Microsoft Edge after using it without any issues on virtual machines. I first switched to the browser for only personal use, I now use it for work as well as the Tech With Dom project, something I always used separate browsers for.

I never really understood the hatred for Microsoft Edge, even before Microsoft adapted Chromium, the browser was still pretty solid back then. I guess the whole Internet Explorer thing combined with bad publicity may have fed those views and opinions.

At present, I switched to Edge on my laptop, work laptop and gaming rig, but I’m honestly thinking of also switching on my phone, but I guess I haven’t used it long enough on Android to make the switch.

Why Microsoft Edge?

There are many decent browsers out there, Chrome and Edge are just two examples. I mean you have Firefox, Brave, Opera, and the list just goes on. But I made the decision to stick to Edge. Here’s why…

To begin with, let’s talk about the interface. Microsoft Edge has a clean and modern look, which utilises space really well and is easy on the eye. I feel that this is something that many browsers get wrong. For example, Firefox has a very nice interface but in its default setting, I feel that the space isn’t well utilised. 

Working in IT, I use a wide range of virtual machines running Windows and one thing I noticed was that Edge worked much better compared to Chrome and even Firefox to some extent. Not to mention the fact that virtual machines often have limited storage space, so not having to install an additional browser was always a plus.

One of the reasons I like Microsoft Edge is that it has a lot of useful tools built in that other browsers don’t have. Not only do these tools help you be more productive, but they also make sense to have inside your browser.

Collections

If like me you are a content creator, a student or if you do a lot of research, this is the ideal feature for you! It will help keep useful information saved in one place. 

For example, at present, I’m researching ways of improving my smart home through the use of Home Automation. I’ve created a folder, in the Collections drop-down called “Smart Home & Automation”. From this point on, whenever I find an interesting article on that topic that I want to save, I simply add it to that folder. That folder is known as a collection. 

The feature is also useful for planning things. For example, if I wake up tomorrow and decide to book flights to Milan, I would create a collection called “Things to see and do in Milan”. This will allow me to save all the web pages and recommendations in an easy-to-find place.

Web Select & Web Capture

If you copy and paste things from the internet, you’ll love Web Select! It allows you to draw a square around content, copy it and paste it without losing the formatting. Something I wish I had during my student days!

Before I started using Microsoft Edge, if I needed to copy and paste data from the internet, I would have to drag the cursor on the text, right-click, copy and paste only to find that the content has either lost its formatting or it formatted in a strange way. This tool eliminates that and is actually quite useful.

On the other hand, Web Capture is similar but slightly different in that it allows you to screenshot a certain part of the web page, annotate it and share it wherever you need.

For example, if you are creating a PowerPoint presentation, you could capture a diagram and make notes on it for the audience to better understand it. 

Privacy & Security

If you are concerned about your privacy, Edge is a great option for you. It features three privacy tiers consisting of basic, balanced and strict. 

However, as with many other tech companies out there, Microsoft may still be collecting data by other means even if you set your tier to strict. You can read their privacy policy here. 

Microsoft Edge also has some useful security features built-in, particularly for those using Windows. One of these features is Microsoft Defender SmartScreen which protects you from malicious sites and downloads. 

Another feature I like is the Typosquatting Checker which warns you if you have mistyped a website address. This is particularly useful as mistyping a web address can directly take you to a potentially malicious website.  

Performance

One of the main reasons I decided to switch to Microsoft Edge is its performance. From a user’s point of view, I can definitely tell that Edge runs faster and that my computer in general runs better if Chrome isn’t running. This could be because traditionally Google Chrome tends to be a bit of a memory hog, at least from my experience anyway. 

I was able to test the performance by simply running the two browsers on identical virtual machines and one of the first things I noticed was that Microsoft Edge performed a lot better, particularly on the lower-spec ones. This is unsurprising as it’s something that I have already noticed working in IT. I guess I just wanted to make sure.

Extensions

Are you a fan of Chrome extensions? I know I am! Whilst the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store has a wide variety of extensions and add-ons, you can actually download extensions from the Google Chrome web store and no, I’m not sponsored by Honey.

This is great, particularly if you’ve been using Chrome for a long time and have been making the most out of add-ons and extensions. The Chrome web store works on Microsoft Edge due to the fact that both browsers are based on Chromium. Using Chrome add-ons doesn’t seem to impact the performance of Microsoft Edge either, which is a huge win!

The Verdict

As a whole, I find Microsoft Edge to be more enjoyable to use, particularly when it comes to using it on Windows. I have slowly started using it on my Samsung Galaxy Z-Flip 4, but at present, I think I prefer the default Samsung Browser. Recently, I also switched to Edge on my iPad Pro and I think it also works quite well.

Over the last year, I tried many different browsers, but I feel that Microsoft Edge is the right browser for me, not only does it look good, it performs well and it has some extremely useful features, some of which I’m still getting to grips with. 

Based on the positive experience I had with Microsoft Edge so far, I highly recommend trying it out for yourself!