Should you Switch to Microsoft Edge?

Making the right choice of a browser is an important decision. Most applications these days are cloud-based and generally accessed through a browser. But which Browser is right for you and your Melbourne-based business?

The Internet Explorer browser led the pack around a decade ago, but with that browser now retired, Chrome has dominated the charts for many years. But just because one browser is currently at the top does not mean it will remain so.

Microsoft Edge was launched in 2015, replacing Internet Explorer as Windows’ default browser.

With its recent market share victory, Microsoft Edge has edged out Firefox. It ranks third among desktop browsers behind Chrome and Safari. Furthermore, it trails Safari by less than one per cent, suggesting it will soon pass Safari for second place.

Market share of desktop browsers for 2022:

• Google Chrome 64.8%
• Safari 9.77%
• Microsoft Edge 9.6%
• Mozilla Firefox 9.46%
• Opera 2.88%
• Internet Explorer 1.14%

Despite its slow start, Edge gained so much popularity recently as its developers switched to chromium code. As a result, a rebuilt version of Edge was released in 2020. The updated framework improved browser performance, making it easier to add extensions and add-ons.

Melbourne businesses primarily work with Apple and Windows operating systems, both of which are supported by Intuitive IT. They support various browsers, such as Edge, Chrome, and Firefox. Edge has the advantage over other browsers because it supports numerous features and extensions from Microsoft Store and the Chrome Web Store. With these extensions, Melbourne businesses can customise the browser to meet their specific needs.

Is Edge a better option? It’s up to you to decide, but this browser has several unique features you might enjoy.

Collections to store sets of pages

“Bookmark” or “Favorites” is a standard feature of all browsers that save links to web pages. Unfortunately, these lists get long and disorganised over time, making it difficult to search for a specific item.

As a result, Microsoft introduced a very useful feature to Edge with the name Collections. By using this feature, users can save links in a sidebar and categorise them by topic. For example, suppose you create a topic with the name Competitor businesses (I have one of these!); this feature will let you add all the web pages you found during your research to it.

Furthermore, if there is any picture on the webpage, that picture will appear to help you to recognise the website more easily. Also, you can access collections by clicking the “+” icon at the top of the page.

It is also easy to delete collections once you have finished using them. It helps you avoid having many links around, as bookmarks usually do.

Coupons

Microsoft has added a coupon option to the Edge browser. Promo codes and coupons are displayed inside Microsoft Edge as alerts when a person shops online and can automatically be applied to a basket at checkout. This browser also contains some shopping-specific features for holiday shopping and Black Friday.

It saves you from the hassle of searching for coupons manually and helps you avoid missing out on any deals or potential discounts. Coupons include a price comparison feature as well.

Price Comparison

With Edge’s price comparison feature and price history details, you can find the most competitive deals when shopping online. If you are shopping online, Edge notifies you by surfacing other retailers that may offer lower prices than your current one.

Furthermore, it also gives you a price history to help you see if the price is at its highest or lowest for the site you visit. It is a great way to save money and prevents you from losing out on savings when you order an identical product from a different retailer.

Security Features

Browsers play an integral role in bringing the technologies together that companies need to succeed. But having vulnerability can severely undermine its benefits and utility.

It is critical to pay special attention to the security features. Weaknesses are always exploited and your browser is your main window into the internet.

The Microsoft Edge Chromium browser promises to offer improved security and safety measures. Several security features are built-in to prevent you from visiting malicious phishing websites and annoying third-party advertising trackers.

The password monitoring feature helps you protect your online accounts in Microsoft Edge by informing you if any of your passwords have been compromised, so you can update them.

With Microsoft Smart Screen, you are protected from sites containing malicious code or links to phishing scams. It generates an early warning mechanism against phishing websites or websites that use social engineering to spread malware.

Often, Google is criticised for privacy concerns, and Microsoft is attempting to solve the issue differently. Microsoft Edge has a tracking prevention feature that prevents online trackers from accessing browser storage and network resources.

Three levels of tracking prevention are available in Edge to prevent advertisers from accessing your personal information. You can select any level: Basic, Balanced, or Strict. By default, Balanced is selected. This feature blocks harmful trackers, such as fingerprinting or crypto-mining.

Quick Screenshots with Web Capture

Microsoft has also added another top requested feature to Edge, i.e. inking. With this new screenshot tool, one can mark up screenshots easily. The Edge browser menu has a Web Capture option from which you can draw a rectangle across any part of your screen or take a full shot. You may then add some comments to the screenshot.

In addition, Microsoft now offers a screenshot that captures an entire webpage. Currently, most screenshot tools can only take a screenshot of what you see on the screen without letting you capture an entire page or scroll while you take a screenshot. The screenshots tool of Edge automatically scrolls down a page so that you can capture everything in one photo.

Edge browser also gets a few productivity improvements that will mainly benefit students. It allows users to annotate and add text notes to PDF documents.

Do you have the right level of Internet security?

The importance of online security cannot be overstated, both at home and at the office. Looking for some guidance on safeguarding your data? Feel free to contact us.