How Microsoft Is About to Make Google Chrome Even Better

[RV_]

Microsoft was the last holdout with their non- open source browsers, including their latest Edge browser.

That is about to change, and MS is going to Chrome to power their new Edge browser soon to be released.

Excerpt:

"All Browser Engines Are Now Open Source

Many people are wringing their hands about Microsoft partnering with Google to gain control over the Internet. But Microsoft abandoning the EdgeHTML browser engine is awesome news. Microsoft’s EdgeHTML was the last closed-source browser engine. Now, all the browser engines will be open-source.

This means work on Edge will improve Chrome, and work on Chrome will improve Edge. Other browsers based on Chromium, like Opera, will also reap the rewards. If you’re a Chrome user, Microsoft is about to make your browser even better. We’re a long way from the days of “Scroogled” here.

Better Touch Support

Edge may have its problems, but it’s always had a pretty great touch interface. Scrolling performance on a modern laptop with a Precision Touchpad is also excellent and smooth. That makes sense, as Microsoft is trying to push touch-based PCs with Windows 10.

Microsoft’s open source intent document clarifies that this is one of its “initial areas of focus.” Specifically, Microsoft says it “can help improve desktop touch, gesture recognition, and scroll/panning smoothness, particularly on newer, more modern Windows devices.”

A cynic would read this line and think “Oh sure, Microsoft has to do a bunch of work to bring Chromium up to par with Edge’s current touch support.” But all that work won’t just help Edge—it will be part of Chromium, and all Microsoft’s future work to improve touch responsiveness will make Chrome even better on touch PCs.

What About Safari and Firefox?

Google Chrome and Apple Safari used to both be based on WebKit, but they forked a few years ago. Nevertheless, Blink (part of Chromium) and the WebKit engine used by Safari are both pretty similar, so some of Microsoft’s work could eventually filter over to Apple’s Safari browser, too.

While Mozilla Firefox may feel like the odd browser out here, there’s still some reason to be happy. Firefox successfully competed with Internet Explorer 6 and reignited competition in the browser market, and now there’s a final victory against EdgeHTML, the last closed-source browser engine.

And now, if Microsoft does something really interesting in the Edge browser, Mozilla can even look at the open-source code and see what’s going on. That’s huge."

The article has much more info for the tech and lay user alike here: https://www.howtogeek.com/398073/how-microsoft-is-about-to-make-google-chrome-even-better/

. I will be sticking with Firefox for now and I will see later if the new Chrome/Edge hybrid browser is better than Firefox for me.

 

[GlennWest]

Been using a Chromebook for a while now. Really enjoy not having Windows.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

This is about browsers, not op systems. 

Been using a derivation of Chrome called Vivaldi for over a year.  Has some features over Chrome but I can use all the Chrome Extensions I want to,

At the store I support, we had problems with Edge doing even some of the Microsoft function that want to use Edge.

[Pieere]

15 hours ago, GlennWest said:

 

ZDnet magazine reported that anyone with a newer Chromebook can dual boot Win/10 on it!

[GlennWest]

Seemed to me complaining about all those updates and such. 

[Pat & Pete]

16 hours ago, Mark and Dale Bruss said:

This is about browsers, not op systems. 

Been using a derivation of Chrome called Vivaldi for over a year.  Has some features over Chrome but I can use all the Chrome Extensions I want to,

At the store I support, we had problems with Edge doing even some of the Microsoft function that want to use Edge.

We've been very satisfied with Vivaldi . It seems to function where others fail .

[RV_]

I am satisfied with Firefox but I will try Edge once more in a bout six months as I do not use Chrome. I now use the MS default mail App and not MS Office 2010 Outlook anymore. I am also using Libre Office as a back up Office suite and it is a bit flaky on my Surface pro tablets. But fine with keyboard.

If you read the above article it seems that MS is using Chrome whole cloth like they use Adobe and now support it on Windows updates in 10.

I'd give it a try as an alternative if you don't use Firefox. MS is getting bad but still not as bad as Google for privacy invasion. Mozilla is the only Windows 10 holdout who hasn't sold out to Google now. Using the Chrome engine for Edge may work very well or not, we've yet to try and see.

[GlennWest]

Was using firefox for years but it got where I couldn't do some things with it. Forgot what now but switched to Chrome and everything worked. Finally got this Chromebook and all is well. 

[RV_]

I have Firefox but also use Nord VPN and have to pop out of the VPN when the website has geo blockers that do not allow other countries, even Canada, to log on. Nord VPN with Cyber security turned on makes me pretty much untouchable unless I get fooled into overriding my VPN. I do have to turn the VPN off for FaceCrook, and Yahoo keeps sending emails asking if that was me that logged in from Canada.

The VPN lets me use services like BBC in the UK that I can't from the USA.

The reason most Chrome users left edge was because it was released for years before they had any extensions and browser Apps like Chrome. So soon Edge is being touted as being as versatile as Chrome because it will be Chrome. Can they do it? You Chrome users will have to try it and see. I'll be using Firefox.

I won't use Chrome until Google changes its privacy terms to protect me not their detailed info of my online habits and emails. Edge will be phoning home to Google from MS Edge too, it's what they do. So Edge will not be on my systems at all, and I will be do a registry change to stop Edge from launching in the background on booting.

I am just a user and not working as a tech anymore so do not keep up with the inner workings and no longer do development. But I will share when I find something I like. Nord VPN is still unexplored by me for settings changes so I'm just a noob to it and it was easy to use from day one. When a website did something unexpected it was easy to turn off and then back on when I wanted. I am typing this through a US server in Texas. I have already watched Doctor Who using a server that made me appear to be connecting from the UK.

Safe computing!

[docj]

1 hour ago, RV_ said:

I have already watched Doctor Who using a server that made me appear to be connecting from the UK.

Not to hijack the thread, but we're also using a VPN (ExpressVPN) to watch TV in other countries.  We like mysteries and are currently working our way through Silent Witness on BBC.  Don't forget that most European countries have both government and independent stations. So in the UK there's ITV in addition to BBC; in New Zealand there's PrimeTV in addition to TVNZ, etc.

[RV_]

Thanks Joel!

For my Sling TV service I use this TV guide, and click on sling blue:Streaming TV guides

From within Sling blue I click on premium channels and get the schedule for HBO which we have for $15 a month, in addition to HULU for $11, and Netflix for $12. We are Amazon Prime members anyway for shopping long before we had streaming and still used basic cable. Now we have a 4k Amazon Fire TV streamer on every TV and my Quad HD All In One main computer. I use my Hauppauge Win TV HVR 955Q for Over the Air local digital TV on my main computer. The Hauppage is also a DVR for over the air and I can pause live TV and back up if I missed anything. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116034

I installed a Channel Master outside antenna https://www.channelmaster.com/Digital_HDTV_Outdoor_TV_Antenna_p/cm-4221hd.htm above the roof to a 1 in 4 out distribution amp https://www.parts-express.com/electroline-eda-2400-4-port-rf-catv-distribution-amplifier--182-562

Only now am I looking at online sources overseas and here.

Facebook does not like my VPN nor does Google. I have yet to buckle down and learn how to set it up for all locales and some few websites that fail on the first try.

Are there any streaming guides for other countries?

Any links would be appreciated to keep me from reinventing the wheel.

 

[docj]

RV:

We've only recently gotten into direct overseas streaming.  We already had been watching Acorn and Britbox, both of which specialize in UK, Aussie and NZ programming.   Of course, we use Netflix as well.

Our interest in "direct connection" began when my wife learned of Mrs Brown's Boys on BBC.  Most of those shows aren't available in the US but are easily retrieved from the BBC using the "iPlayer" and a VPN.   Once I got on the BBC site I began to explore and discovered programs such as Silent Witness that have been on for many years, with several years worth available currently: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b007y6k8

From there I simply began to explore the other networks, ITV in the UK, Prime in NZ, NZTV. ABC (Australian Broadcasting Co), etc.  If there are shows that interest you, usually Googling the titles provides lots of useful info.

Depending on your tastes, there is a lot of good programming available in other countries.   We started several years ago with "Spiral" a gritty French police drama known as Engrenages (in French).  Several seasons of that are available on US streaming sources, but, in the past I've occasionally bought non-region 1 DVDs in order to see some episodes! On Acorn we got hooked on six seasons of "A Place to Call Home" on Aussie TV (Downton Abbey, Australian-style).  Not that overseas TV is necessarily better than what's on US channels, but when you devote 90-minute shows (without commercials) to a  drama you can get significantly more more in depth than you can in ~45 minute segments (after commericals).

Joel

[RV_]

Joel,

Great! That's enough for me to get a start. I'll try some and see what's what. This work-around for geoblocking is excellent.

[Pieere]

RV: I still use the Opera browser (built-in VPN)  and Duck-Duck-Go search engine! It does what I need it to do! Use it with my Andoid Phone and Tablet also!

[RV_]

Pieere,

Interesting. I just went to their page and it seems I may do well to get my 30 day money back refund and try Opera again. How does it work with Netflix, Sling, Amazon, and Facebook. Google hates a VPN as do some websites. Usually the ones with issues are only recalcitrant when I choose an out of the US server. I get defaulted to Texas a lot when I use the US but that is fine with me.

Have you used other VPNs to compare it to? If so which and how do they compare? I was shocked when Nord VPN sped up my Firefox browser tremendously. I was led to believe that they slowed systems down. To get the best price I had to buy 3 years and that totaled about $107. I liked Opera last time I used it but when I switched browsers back it stuck some registry keys that I only found out about in a response to another Google I made. I removed those Opera keys and all went back to normal. But that was five years or more ago.