Microsoft finds another way of imposing its own browser Edge on users

Microsoft revealed today that it is testing a new change to its future version of Windows 10 which will make links clicked on in the Windows Mail app open in Microsoft Edge.

Ignoring your default browser if it is not Edge

There are many browsers that are available for free download. Among the most popular are: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. There are many others. I use Vivaldi as well as Opera. Edge is the recent Microsoft browser with Internet Explorer being Microsoft's older browser.

Any of these browsers can be set as your default. However, Microsoft will now ignore that when you click a link in its mail app. and open the link in Edge.

Forcing you to change in this way is nothing new to Microsoft. If you use Cortana it forces you to use Bing as your search engine even though you may have set Google as your default search engine. It also opens results in Edge even if it is not your default browser.

Microsoft wants feedback

Microsoft's Dona Sarkar said in a blog post: “As always, we look forward to feedback from our WIP community."

There is a feedback hub that you can get at this site.

In spite of Microsoft pushing Edge Chrome is still the top browser

Other attempts to push Edge consisted of videos critical of Chrome's claims about battery life and even ads within Windows 10 itself to promote Edge. I would add that Edge cannot be uninstalled as can any other browser you download. Yet Chrome is still the top browser whether considering all browsers or just desktops.

Top browsers

As an article in Wikipedia explains different there are problems measuring browser use accurately but StatsCounter rates the percentage use of different browsers for desktop browsers, all browsers, and other categories such as tablets and smart phones.

For all browsers Chrome comes on top with usage share in February 2008 at 57.46 percent. Apple's OS Safari is second with 14.39 percent. UC, mostly used in developing countries is third with 7.91 percent. Firefox is fourth with 5.5 percent. Edge is far down the list at only 1.86 percent. Even Opera is twice as popular at 3.86 percent.

The situation does not improve if only desktops are included. Chrome is still first in February at 67.9 percent, in front by far. Firefox is second at 11.54 percent. Ironically, third is IE, Microsoft's old browser at 6.9 percent. Safari is fourth at 5.42 percent. Edge is next at 4.04 percent.

Edge cannot even reach the level of usage that discontinued IE does. However, Microsoft may find further devious devices to force us to use it. One foolproof way to avoid all this is to install any free Linux operating system of which there are dozens of versions. You can always install a dual boot system in case you want to use Windows as well.

Previously published in Digital Journal