Microsoft Directs Users Searching for Chrome and Firefox to Edge Browser
“Microsoft recommends Microsoft Edge for Windows 10”
Microsoft Edge is the software giant’s big bet in the browser war in Windows 10 and the company hopes it has a better chance to succeed in the fight against Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox thanks to this new app, so it’s no wonder that it tries all kinds of tactics to achieve its goal.
For example, VentureBeat has discovered that Bing is directing users searching for alternative browsers in Windows 10 to Microsoft Edge, in an attempt that appears to be aimed at keeping adopters of the new operating system on board.
Basically, searching for “Chrome” or “Firefox” on Bing triggers a notification saying that “Microsoft recommends Microsoft Edge for Windows 10,” and clicking this message gets users to a page hosted by the company which presents the main features of the browser.
Edge, Chrome, or Firefox?
Right now, it’s not yet clear if the same message appears on international versions of Bing, as the aforementioned notification was only displayed on the US-based flavor of the search engine. The Edge recommendation is shown only when searching the first time for an alternative browser.
Edge was designed from the very beginning to compete with Chrome and Firefox, so one of its key features is support for extensions developed for Google’s browser.
This tool isn’t ready yet and Microsoft plans to introduce it in the coming weeks, with pundits revealing that the big Windows 10 update scheduled for late October or early November could finally bring it in the new browser.
Microsoft is aiming to make extensions work in Edge with no modification, but some code optimizations or minor changes might be needed. The same feature is also projected to arrive on devices powered by Windows 10 Mobile, as Edge is designed as a universal app that can work on all Windows 10 devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones.
