The new Microsoft Edge is great...but can it really mount a challenge to Google Chrome's dominance?

As you have no-doubtedly heard, the new Microsoft Edge is out, and my experience so far has been incredible...so far. The browser looks great, works perfectly, and should be familiar to both old Edge users and Chrome users. However, it will still struggle for one reason: hardware.

There were certainly more questions than answers when Microsoft announced that Edge, the Internet Explorer successor, would be switched over to Chromium after pushing their own service since the introduction of Windows 10. The engine driving Edge was baked so deeply in to Windows 10 that it was nearly impossible to separate the two. Not only that, fans of Edge loved it; after all, it looked beautiful while being fast and fluid. However, much like IE6, Chrome has dominated the browser marketplace leaving developers to code specifically for it. With that, Edge failed to load a lot of web pages correctly pushing many back to Chrome.

However, with the new Edgium (or Chredge), compatibility issues are a thing of the past.

Since running the new Edge, I have been met with no concerns, nor should I as everything should run similar to Chrome. There is a distinctly Chrome feel to the interface (which is to be expected), but at the same time, it maintains its own personality. Chrome users should feel right at home with navigation, but even those still running older Internet Explorer will find a familiarity with Edge. Settings and Options are easy enough to find as are Favorites and History; quite simply, the browser fits with all other browsers.

The browser wars as they once were are a thing of the past. Most people aren't looking for new feature sets and compatibility; they are just looking for what is there and what works. That is where Edge will shine, but also where it will struggle. With Edge being the default on Windows 10, many will find that it is not worth the time to install another browser. Edge offers everything they will need from a consumer standpoint while the built-in Internet Explorer compatibility will make it a fix in enterprise. The easy sign-in to Microsoft will shorten the time it takes to set up as well as help those with more than one device. Edge has all the advantages it could be afforded on Windows 10 with no real drawbacks except for being a new player.

However, these advantages are the exact same disadvantages it has in mobile. PCs are no longer how most people spent their time on the web; phones dominate the average users time spent on the internet. The real success of web browsers is based on market penetration, and without a mobile presence, Microsoft is facing an uphill climb. With Windows 10 mobile, Microsoft had a platform to push their services, but now, with Microsoft embracing Android, they will always be a step behind Chrome. Google Play Services, which every Android manufacturers needs to have a useful phone, bundles Chrome with the operating system; it is the default browser. With easy sign-in with Google, many will find no need to download another browser. In fact, many are likely not aware they can even download another browser on their phone. If people see Chrome on their device, they will probably just keep on using it.

For Microsoft to thrive, they need people to download Edge on mobile. Now, as a mobile user of Edge, I can tell you that it certainly is delight to use. It works just as well with Chrome while also, eventually, allowing me to sync all my setting, favorites, etc. It really is a great browser with little downside on mobile. Plus, it does not send your information to Google which, lets be honest, few people trust these days. However, how many are really going to take the time (and storage) to download Edge when there is no need to?

The new Edge is a great browser with a chance to gain market share that the old Edge never could; that has as much to do with availability as it does features. However, with no mobile hardware, Microsoft has a tall task ahead of it to make it a go-to for a lot of people. They cannot rely on loyalists like myself to push them forward; they need the every day user. Here's hoping they have some tricks up their sleeves to challenge the browser giant that is Google Chrome.