Microsoft Edge, while definitely seeing a steady rise to mainstream use and popularity, has still got a long way to go before its competition, Google Chrome, gives any leeway.
Microsoft has published a job opening around a week ago on their website, looking to hire a principal software engineer dedicated to working for their browser, Edge. Looking for a new leader to shepherd the rest of Edge's development team indicates that Microsoft is looking to go all-out with their browser and its standards.
Numbers skimmed over in this very job posting also state that Edge has reached 600 million customers already. Which, while being an impressive number, doesn't come with any context as to who is being considered a customer. However, even if the validity of these numbers is questionable, multiple analyst firms have delved into data and conclusively agreed that Edge has taken over Firefox as the browser world's number 2. However, the number one they're competing with is a behemoth in its own right.
Google Chrome's success is no small feat. Netmarketshare’s recent report claims that Chrome has nearly a 70% share in the browsers market. It's bested the likes of Apple and Mozilla in establishing user presence, and is collectively regarded as the best browser experience. The Chrome name itself has garnered enough of a reputation that Google has branded other projects such as Chromecast and Chromebook as its namesake. In fact, Chromium, the open-source browser project which made Chrome, was eventually adopted by Edge itself for coding and developmental purposes.
Edge has also had to clamber out of the unfortunate looming shadow of Microsoft's previous browser. Internet Explorer is widely reviled as perhaps the most misguided attempt at browser development in tech history. It would go on to gain internet meme status, with people mocking its slow load times and ungainly running. It has also been at the center of multiple controversies regarding malware security, and was the subject of a lawsuit the US government brought against Microsoft.
Regardless, one way or another Edge has soldiered on while keeping a steady pace (and a hefty distance from controversy). Microsoft does seem to have learned their lesson, as it uses code from a respected source, as opposed to any random third-party open source gibberish available. The transfer to Chromium has enabled cross-platform availability for the browser as well, allowing users to go live from devices other than Windows. And while it's got a literal mountain to inch over, with Chrome's pace not nudging, these steps towards making it a better browser are definitely the way to go.
Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty
Read next: Microsoft Edge is bringing a new flyout collections menu for its toolbar
Microsoft has published a job opening around a week ago on their website, looking to hire a principal software engineer dedicated to working for their browser, Edge. Looking for a new leader to shepherd the rest of Edge's development team indicates that Microsoft is looking to go all-out with their browser and its standards.
Numbers skimmed over in this very job posting also state that Edge has reached 600 million customers already. Which, while being an impressive number, doesn't come with any context as to who is being considered a customer. However, even if the validity of these numbers is questionable, multiple analyst firms have delved into data and conclusively agreed that Edge has taken over Firefox as the browser world's number 2. However, the number one they're competing with is a behemoth in its own right.
Google Chrome's success is no small feat. Netmarketshare’s recent report claims that Chrome has nearly a 70% share in the browsers market. It's bested the likes of Apple and Mozilla in establishing user presence, and is collectively regarded as the best browser experience. The Chrome name itself has garnered enough of a reputation that Google has branded other projects such as Chromecast and Chromebook as its namesake. In fact, Chromium, the open-source browser project which made Chrome, was eventually adopted by Edge itself for coding and developmental purposes.
Edge has also had to clamber out of the unfortunate looming shadow of Microsoft's previous browser. Internet Explorer is widely reviled as perhaps the most misguided attempt at browser development in tech history. It would go on to gain internet meme status, with people mocking its slow load times and ungainly running. It has also been at the center of multiple controversies regarding malware security, and was the subject of a lawsuit the US government brought against Microsoft.
Regardless, one way or another Edge has soldiered on while keeping a steady pace (and a hefty distance from controversy). Microsoft does seem to have learned their lesson, as it uses code from a respected source, as opposed to any random third-party open source gibberish available. The transfer to Chromium has enabled cross-platform availability for the browser as well, allowing users to go live from devices other than Windows. And while it's got a literal mountain to inch over, with Chrome's pace not nudging, these steps towards making it a better browser are definitely the way to go.
Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty
Read next: Microsoft Edge is bringing a new flyout collections menu for its toolbar
