Microsoft Edge To Be Replaced By Chromium-Based Browser

It seems that Microsoft can never rid itself its web browser curse. Although it became the most used browser in the world, Internet Explorer ended up also becoming its most unpopular. Redmond tried to separate itself from the legacy with Microsoft Edge. After no small amount of aggressive marketing and even intrusive tactics, it seems that Microsoft is ready to throw in the towel and build a new default browser for Windows 10, one built around the same rendering engine used by rival Google Chrome.

Microsoft tried to shed off Internet Explorer in the easiest way possible. It started from scratch to create a browser and a rendering engine, EdgeHTML, that it swears is designed to be fast and light and secure. Microsoft may barely hit those targets and it spent of its time in marketing campaigns to extol at least the Edge browsers battery-friendly performance.

If this report turns out to be spot on, Microsoft may end up with egg on its face. Not that Microsoft Edge has had a blemish-free reputation. Commits to Chromium, the open source base on which Google Chrome is built, hint that Microsoft may be switching over to a new browser based on the same foundations.

This would clearly be a win both for users as well as Google. Users would get the same experience on Microsoft's new web browser that they would get if they were using Chrome. There might even be a chance they will also have access to the same extensions. For Google, this means effectively expanding its reach, even if it were with a different name.

That actually brings up the question of what form this browser would take. There are still many unanswered questions regarding branding and limitations but, as far as those hints are concerned, Microsoft Edge is practically dead.