MS ‘Edge’ – Points and Pitfalls?

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MS ‘Edge’ – Points and Pitfalls?

This topic has 33 replies, 21 voices, and was last updated 11 April 2021 at 16:24 by V8Eng.

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9 April 2021 at 17:51 #538884
Nigel Graham 2
Participant
@nigelgraham2
I receive assorted pop-up warnings from Mr. Gates' lot alleging that Internet Explorer is "out of date".

They've started trying to persuade me to install µS 'Edge' – I am not sure if it's a full www-browser or just the e-post service.

Points to watch for, please, be they Good, Indifferent, Bad or Downright Awful.

E.g. ease of use, compatibility with existing OS (MS WIN 7 Pro) & web-sites etc., user's control (blocking ads, " news" and other clutter, limiting eavesdropping), etc.
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9 April 2021 at 17:51 #28095
Nigel Graham 2
Participant
@nigelgraham2
9 April 2021 at 17:57 #538886
Joseph Noci 1
Participant
@josephnoci1
I send the Cavalry to rout edge out whenever it tries to make an appearance. Chrome+google or Firefox are far less intrusive and patronising..

Joe
9 April 2021 at 18:12 #538887
V8Eng
Participant
@v8eng
Came with the families W10 PC and it works.

No idea about anything else to do with it.
9 April 2021 at 18:19 #538888
Clive Brown 1
Participant
@clivebrown1
Whatever browser one chooses, IE should definitely not be on the list. It's waaaay out of date, unsupported and potentially full of security risks. Edge seems to be liked by the computer press but for myself, I go for Firefox.

Come to that, Windows 7 is no longer fully supported and so will bring security risks. Win 10 is definitely the way to go.
9 April 2021 at 18:52 #538891
old mart
Participant
@oldmart
I struggled to make sense of the security settings, got frustrated and now use Firefox.
9 April 2021 at 18:59 #538896
Brian H
Participant
@brianh50089
Another plus for Firefox.

Brian
9 April 2021 at 19:06 #538898
Ady1
Participant
@ady1
firefox
9 April 2021 at 19:07 #538899
modeng2000
Participant
@modeng2000
And another one

John
9 April 2021 at 19:19 #538902
AJAX
Participant
@ajax
NetScape Navigator anyone?

But seriously, Edge or Chrome should be just fine. Whichever one you are using, select your preferred search engine rather that accept a default.
9 April 2021 at 19:26 #538903
Peter Cook 6
Participant
@petercook6
Posted by AJAX on 09/04/2021 19:19:08:

But seriously, Edge or Chrome should be just fine. Whichever one you are using, select your preferred search engine rather that accept a default.

One thing to watch with EDGE is that although you can choose which search engine to use, it only uses that one for queries entered into the browser bar. As far as I can find, it's impossible to change the search engine that is used by the box in the middle of the "new page". That seems to use Bing regardless of the choice of search engine.
9 April 2021 at 20:36 #538910
Nigel Graham 2
Participant
@nigelgraham2
After posting my question I looked on MS' own web-site to see what it might tell me. I knew it would only talk it up, but I used the very limited Contact box (80 chrs) to say I'd like to ask a few questions.

Interestingly the site admits that Edge was intended to run only in W10, but due to the popularity (its word!) of 7 have matched it to that, and 8, as well. To me, that is MS admitting it has nothing new to offer, has run out of ideas, that each new OS is the same programme behind new waffle and complexity. Apart from trying to keep ahead of the hackers that MS's almost-monopoly have encouraged, one may ask just what Microsoft's approach really is, and how many of its developments and "up-grades" are genuinely necessary.

The MS site also states that Edge runs on basically the same software as Google Chrome… so is Edge merely Chrome with its own name?.

So essentially, avoid Edge if given the choice. I have not yet discovered how you use Firefox for e-messages. Or is the web-site search tool a totally different thing from the e-post service? I've not seen how and where these two functions separate.

'

V8Eng – well, yes. If you buy WIN10, Edge is wrapped up in it.

Clive – WIN 10 may be the "way to go" but that is what MS intends, and to whose benefit? I did install W10 when it was offered free, a year or so after buying this PC with W7, and it was so bad I reverted the system to 7.

'

Presently, IE asks if I want it as the default browser, and I answer no. I use Firefox for that.

IE though is both my e-post system and access to web-sites on which I have registered, including this one; and I can't see how, or if, Firefox gives me the same dual service.

Basically then, I leave IE switched off…. but how do I receive and send messages?
9 April 2021 at 20:56 #538911
old mart
Participant
@oldmart
I used edge up till they made the major update, then it got too awkward to set some simple security controls.
9 April 2021 at 21:22 #538915
Fowlers Fury
Participant
@fowlersfury
Like many others above, I've used Firefox for years through its various versions, studiously ignoring all of M/soft's browser offerings.
However, the full version of Firefox has become a bit "resource heavy" of late. It is showing around 300Mb of memory usage just now on my system.
(Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete together in order to load Task Manager and see).
Whereas loading Edge instead shows it uses about 100Mb less.
So maybe if your system is short on memory (if still using Win 7 that maybe the case) then you might find Edge is less stressful despite its many annoyances & frustrations c/f Firefox.
9 April 2021 at 21:36 #538917
SillyOldDuffer
Moderator
@sillyoldduffer
If you care about privacy: Brave is best, Chrome & Firefox are OK, and Edge has been severely criticised, though Microsoft deny there's a problem.

If memory is short: Edge currently uses the least, while Chrome, Firefox & Brave are all about 20% heavier. Firefox uses more RAM than the others.

Firefox has the most extensions and add-ons

If unwilling to trust corporate giants, Firefox and Brave are clean, whereas Edge is Chromium extended by Microsoft and Chrome is Chromium extended by Google.

I use Firefox with security extensions at the moment. As the relative merits of Browsers changes over time I'm keeping an eye on Brave. Not had time to test it yet.

Microsoft say Internet Explorer shouldn't be used as a general purpose browser. Switch to something else if you can.

Dave
9 April 2021 at 21:38 #538918
Oldiron
Participant
@oldiron
Edge works well on all Windows platforms from 7 up to present versions.

I personally use Firefox as it supports Adblocker+ better than all the other browsers.

regards
9 April 2021 at 23:14 #538930
V8Eng
Participant
@v8eng
Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 09/04/2021 20:

V8Eng – well, yes. If you buy WIN10, Edge is wrapped up in it.

Post removed, decided it’s not worth replying to.

Edited By V8Eng on 09/04/2021 23:22:20
10 April 2021 at 00:25 #538937
Bazyle
Participant
@bazyle
More and more sites are not working with IE, like Groups.io and HSM and I think one of the Federations of Model Engineers. On the other hand one of the services I use at work only functions with IE. My work computer under IT dept control has been gradually enabling parts of Edge, like the favourites bar only activated last week – yes it is designed to allow more control by corporate IT aswell. Added to that we have just gone to 365 and Teams is replacing Webex and Skype and a couple of other business applications in phases over the next year, just in time to complete re-learning as I retire.
10 April 2021 at 17:38 #539029
Anonymous
I mostly use Firefox …. but the ESR version rather than the regular (effectively beta-test) version.

Vivaldi is well worth a look too.
10 April 2021 at 18:38 #539036
Nigel Graham 2
Participant
@nigelgraham2
Bazyle –

It does seem to be particular sites that elicit the warnings about IE, but I have not established any pattern to it. I had though discovered that some of the web-sites I have listed in my Engineering folders no longer work, so might they have moved to a format no longer recognised by IE?

I don't need worry about the business applications you list, like Team and Skype, but IE is my e-mail programme as well as web-browser. Though I am using Firefox more now as the browser, I can't see any alternative e-mail service. The pyrotechnic vulpine offers none.

'

V8Eng –

Sorry if I offended you, but I was not criticising your choice. I'm simply asking for advice.

I know Edge was written for WIN10 but works with WINs 7 and 8. I wish to know how it compares to IE, both favourably and unfavourably; and what traps to avoid ( if possible).

'

The upshot so far is that is without Internet Explorer, I may have a better browser in Firefox, but as far as I can see, would have no e-mail service.

I've just discovered one facet of FF (it's open as well as the IE I am using here). Clearing my browsing history leaves half a dozen links I have not searched for. These are Amazon, You-tube, Reddit, BBC News, E-bay and Facebook. FF does not know I do not use them, but probably assumes I do. (I have a radio for the News.)

Google is still hidden behind its "cookies" -wall. Powerful things, barricades of biscuits……
10 April 2021 at 19:07 #539039
DiogenesII
Participant
@diogenesii
Nigel, for e-mail, one can use Thunderbird – it's free and from the same developers (Mozilla) as Firefox…

I use both, very happy with them.
10 April 2021 at 19:12 #539040
Mike Poole
Participant
@mikepoole82104
Unless you are prepared to work hard at privacy then staying off the internet is the only sure fire way of keeping your life private. The trouble is that the government is leading the charge to force everything on line with Covid giving them more power to their elbow. Covid is proving to be a boon to taking business online to the point that a huge amount of office space is likely to surplus to requirements in the new normal. When the dust finally settles it seems the world will be very different. Much pain has been felt in many sectors but other areas have made hay. My printer failed last year soon after lockdown and sourcing a replacement was not easy. I suspect there will not be many discounts to be found for UK hotels and restaurants this summer.

Mike
10 April 2021 at 20:16 #539049
V8Eng
Participant
@v8eng
'

V8Eng –

Sorry if I offended you, but I was not criticising your choice. I'm simply asking for advice.

I know Edge was written for WIN10 but works with WINs 7 and 8. I wish to know how it compares to IE, both favourably and unfavourably; and what traps to avoid ( if possible).

I was not offended but found your reply a bit puzzling as I had said that Edge works (Quite well in fact).

I moved my own computing to Apple some years ago but it is surprising the things that seem tied to MS.
10 April 2021 at 21:57 #539056
Grindstone Cowboy
Participant
@grindstonecowboy
Posted by Mike Poole on 10/04/2021 19:12:15:

…. I suspect there will not be many discounts to be found for UK hotels and restaurants this summer.

Mike

Indeed – looking at somewhere for a family reunion for later in the year, the place we used last year has gone up from £500 to £800 for the same period.

Just to bring things back on topic, I've just rebuilt a family PC with a fresh Win 10 install, and thought I'd try the Brave browser. Seems OK at fist glance, appears to be based on the Chrome platform, but is trying to push me to join a Rewards programme of some sort. Have turned off the notifications, but will see how it goes.

Rob
10 April 2021 at 22:01 #539057
Breva
Participant
@breva
I hope this fits in with this thread. It may influence the decision of the OP before he changes supplier.

I have continuous problems with Chrome and Google. I get the dreaded "Before you continue to Google Search" popup each time I use search or change sites no matter how often I go through the settings

I have tried various fixes from groups on the net. The last one worked for a while but I suspect that the latest update has found a way around the fixes.

From online comments I see I am not alone with this harassing behaviour.

Are the other browsers like Edge Brave etc, any less intrusive in your experience?

Has anyone a fix that works, short of giving up?

John
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