Wish we also covered the tricks that Google used to trick users into adopting Chrome, like paying every freeware vendor since 2009 to install Chrome automatically on your system if you forgot to untick the "Install Chrome" box, similar to any other spyware of the era like the Ask Jeeves or Yahoo! toolbars.
I remember back then, when Chrome just came out, asking non-tech people how they got it and they always answered "I dunno, it just showed up".
At the time, Chrome was the scrappy new browser coming from the company that vowed to “don’t be evil”, challenging the well-entrenched and stagnant IE11. Most tech people started using Chrome because of this, and had no problem earning a few bucks promoting it.
When Edge was basically Google free Chromium, it was really good. Now Microsoft's product people have turned it into bloatware. I think they had an opportunity to gain significant market share and the only thing they had to do was... nothing.
Instead, they've juiced the short term metrics by using every sleazy trick in the book and I'm back to installing Chrome or Firefox as the first step after every Windows install.
MS just comes off desperate with their tricks trying to con users into using Edge. Then again, Chrome is no better with their attempts to dominate the web and force their own standards on other browsers to make ads harder to dodge.
Aside from Firefox, there's really not many other browsers I trust.
They are the only castle left standing, for all practical purposes Firefox no longer matters, given its market share and Mozzilla's agenda making the world a better place or whatever they are doing now.
I'll always support user choice and that is the only thing Apple will be forced to allow. It's extremely bizarre to justify vendor lock-in on the basis of popularity.
Imagine if Microsoft would prohibit you from using Google search on Microsoft devices and force you to use Bing and anyone would justify this on the basis that Bing is unpopular.
I find these articles quite funny because in my experience Edge is way of a better browser than Chrome. So much that I ended up installing it in both my work and home laptops running Linux (mint)
Edge gives me functioning vertical tabs with grouping , side by side tabs and web screenshot snapping tool out of the box.
Also the right side are with "favorites" or frequently used sites is great to anchor Phind and Protopage
It’s unfortunate that MS took Edge down this path. Early on it was among the best of Chrome-cousins and I’d just leave it as the default browser on new Windows installs, but with all they’ve done to it’s become a solid downgrade and I’m back to installing alternatives.
I've said this about Windows and I'm sure it applies to Edge. Some marketing person somewhere at Microsoft is looking at the some metric that their OS pulls in and asking the managers of the engineers to get these numbers up. "We must have everyone using Edge. We must have everyone getting Office."
Windows isn't an Operating System anymore, its an advertising platform for 1 client, and it's awful when you consider that you're buying an ad / spyware infested OS.
The whole, if you're not paying for it, you're the product isn't the case anymore. You're the product no matter what you do.
Linux has none of this shenanigans, and even when it does it takes two seconds to turn off, or you know, we call it Android.
Edit: Cleaned it up a smidgen and added one sentence.
Unfortunately this also seems to affect all their GUI offerings, I wouldn't be surprised if the great GUI civil war going on Redmond isn't a side effect from some KPIs fighting for resource allocation.
It's crazy. A year ago I changed jobs to a company invested in the MS ecosystem. When I got my Windows machines, I decided to give Edge a fair chance and left it as the default.
I gave it a few months, but I'm now back to good old Firefox.
(And I'm getting ready to give up on {New,} Outlook and go back to Thunderbird too. I'm sick of the paper cuts and I've wasted so much time fighting it to do what I want.)
> Early on it was among the best of Chrome-cousins and I’d just leave it as the default browser on new Windows installs
Yes! I remember installing the leaked version before the official launch and being really impressed on how fast it was. The UI was also a welcome change. But over time they've added so many unwanted features. It just feels so bloated and slower than chrome now.
I’d use Firefox on the work issued Mac if 1) I would have to login to everything as often as in chrome instead of daily and 2) if scrolling wasn’t so horribly useless (yes I tweaked about:config). I’m a very happy Firefox user on home windows pc.
One more: My employer (gigantic corporation) mandates Microsoft. Edge is the default browser. We cannot change it. The browser option is grayed out, we are not allowed extensions, nor do we have access to the Registry.
Firefox is still allowed for the moment. We have to manually copy and paste links into it from emails, etc.
I have tried that. The Outlook365 web interface is worse than the desktop version for searching and many features either don't exist or are clunky to use. Have to pick my poison but poison all the same.
Readit News
I remember back then, when Chrome just came out, asking non-tech people how they got it and they always answered "I dunno, it just showed up".
That's how EEE works.
Instead, they've juiced the short term metrics by using every sleazy trick in the book and I'm back to installing Chrome or Firefox as the first step after every Windows install.
Aside from Firefox, there's really not many other browsers I trust.
Imagine if Microsoft would prohibit you from using Google search on Microsoft devices and force you to use Bing and anyone would justify this on the basis that Bing is unpopular.
Edge gives me functioning vertical tabs with grouping , side by side tabs and web screenshot snapping tool out of the box.
Also the right side are with "favorites" or frequently used sites is great to anchor Phind and Protopage
Chrome just feels half baked to me at this point.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38008100
Until shitbags like this guy are forced out of the industry I don't think things will improve.
Windows isn't an Operating System anymore, its an advertising platform for 1 client, and it's awful when you consider that you're buying an ad / spyware infested OS.
The whole, if you're not paying for it, you're the product isn't the case anymore. You're the product no matter what you do.
Linux has none of this shenanigans, and even when it does it takes two seconds to turn off, or you know, we call it Android.
Edit: Cleaned it up a smidgen and added one sentence.
I gave it a few months, but I'm now back to good old Firefox.
(And I'm getting ready to give up on {New,} Outlook and go back to Thunderbird too. I'm sick of the paper cuts and I've wasted so much time fighting it to do what I want.)
Yes! I remember installing the leaked version before the official launch and being really impressed on how fast it was. The UI was also a welcome change. But over time they've added so many unwanted features. It just feels so bloated and slower than chrome now.
How about "My current one is monitoring what sites I'm browsing and asking me why I was using them"?
Microsoft now thirstily injects a poll when you download Google Chrome - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38014168 - Oct 2023 (139 comments)
Microsoft now demands to know why you won't use Edge when you download Chrome - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38008100 - Oct 2023 (134 comments)
Microsoft has not stopped forcing Edge on Windows 11 users - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37461449 - Sept 2023 (449 comments)
Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Win11 to get people to ditch Chrome - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37321002 - Aug 2023 (365 comments)
Microsoft is trying too hard with Edge - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36940597 - July 2023 (67 comments)
Microsoft broke a Chrome feature to promote Edge - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35787707 - May 2023 (315 comments)
Microsoft hijacks Google's Chrome download page to beg you not to ditch Edge - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34911233 - Feb 2023 (21 comments)
Microsoft is now injecting full-size ads on Chrome website - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34886732 - Feb 2023 (364 comments)
Microsoft Edge will now warn users about the dangers of downloading Chrome - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29448175 - Dec 2021 (5 comments)
Microsoft Edge will now warn users about the dangers of downloading Chrome - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29421464 - Dec 2021 (4 comments)
Microsoft’s new Windows prompts try to stop people downloading Chrome - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29415031 - Dec 2021 (422 comments)
Firefox is still allowed for the moment. We have to manually copy and paste links into it from emails, etc.