Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser beta on Windows 10

You can now download the first Beta version of the new Chromium-based Edge browser. Microsoft is still working on it, but says it’s “ready for everyday use.” It’s available for Windows 10, 8, 7, and macOS.

As Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President of Windows, writes: “Beta is the third and final preview channel which will come online before launch.” This is the version to try if you want to play with the new Edge and want the most stable experience

Edge’s new development process is just like Google Chrome’s—that’s no surprise, since both are now based on the Chromium open-source project. Expect major Beta version upgrades every six weeks. New features have to make their way through the Canary and Dev channels before graduating to the Beta channel.

Make no mistake: This is the future of browsing on Windows. And it looks a lot like Chrome. Microsoft has put its own spin on things, integrating tracking prevention for improved online privacy, Internet Explorer mode for compatibility, and Windows Defender Application Guard for enterprise security. But much of the work Microsoft is doing will make Google Chrome even better, too. Everyone wins.

The new Microsoft Edge's New Tab page

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Profile Photo for Chris Hoffman Chris Hoffman
Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He's written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times and Reader's Digest, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami's NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read more than one billion times---and that's just here at How-To Geek.
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