Microsoft revealed this week that its new Web browser—previously code named “Project Spartan”—will officially be called Edge. The Edge browser replaces the venerable and controversial Internet Explorer but its unlikely that it will achieve the same dominant market share as its predecessor any time soon.
That isn’t a commentary on the Edge browser or its capabilities. I’ve used Project Spartan off and on for months and it is a very capable browser with some interesting innovations.
As the “Spartan” code name suggests Edge starts from the premise of stripping the browser experience bare—removing all of the bells and whistles that have turned browsers into platforms in and of themselves and getting the browser out of the way of the browsing. Edge will also offer extensions a’ la Chrome and Firefox, though, so you will be able to extend its capabilities and customize the experience to fit your needs.
Edge also adds cool features like Cortana voice assistant interaction, and the ability to draw on or annotate Web pages. The marked up Web pages can then be saved or shared across social networking sites or through email.
Edge browser challenges
Whether Edge is a good browser or not, or whether the features and innovations in Edge are cool or not has little to do with its initial success or failure, though. People in general are averse to change and Microsoft loyalists are sometimes zealots about keeping their old, outdated, broken, insecure software. Just look at the backlash Microsoft had to deal with over removing or changing the functionality of the Start button in Windows, or the revolt that occurred when Microsoft ended support for Windows XP.
As despised as Internet Explorer is in many circles, there will inevitably be a vocal segment of the Windows population who will cling to it. They will refuse to upgrade or find some way to install or continue using Internet Explorer from within Windows 10.
Then there are those who have already abandoned Internet Explorer. People who hated Internet Explorer or believe that Microsoft software is inherently insecure are unlikely to embrace Edge. Many will see it as simply a rebrand of Internet Explorer—lipstick on the proverbial pig.
Even those who are willing to give Edge the benefit of the doubt may resist the switch. Those who are already comfortable with Chrome or Firefox can just install Chrome or Firefox in Windows 10 and continue using the browser they know—with all of the extensions, bookmarks, and other customizations they’ve already invested time and effort in.
The challenge for Microsoft is to make Edge compelling. It has to provide enough incentive to win over both Internet Explorer loyalists and anti-Internet Explorer defectors. That won’t be easy.
Edge can still come out on top
The good news for Microsoft and the Edge browser is that the stubborn attitude about change is countered by the fact that there as many or more users who are either too naïve or too lazy to use anything but the default browser. As millions of PCs are upgraded to Windows 10 Edge will capture a significant chunk of market share virtually overnight just by virtue of being the default browser for the operating system.
The initial success depends on how many people actually download and install Windows 10, and how many of those people just stick with Edge as the default browser rather than installing a competing browser like Chrome or Firefox. Ultimately, though, Edge will be measured on its own merits. It will either establish itself as a solid browser with innovative features, or it will prove its naysayers right and fade into oblivion. We’ll see.
