Microsoft reveals all the Google things it removed in its Chromium Edge browser

[CyberTech]

Content source

https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/8/18300772/microsoft-google-services-removed-changed-chromium-edge-browser

Microsoft just released preview versions of its Chromium-powered Edge browser today. If you’ve downloaded it to test it, you’ve probably noticed it’s very stable and performs surprisingly well. It even performs better than Google’s own Chrome browser on Windows 10, despite being built on the same Chromium open-source project. While it’s early days for Microsoft’s new Edge, the company has revealed all of the Google services it has replaced or removed from its new Chromium-powered browser to optimize performance.

Microsoft has removed or replaced more than 50 of Google’s services that come as part of Chromium, including things like ad blocking, Google Now, Google Cloud Messaging, and Chrome OS-related services. Microsoft’s Edge engineering team is due to reveal more about its Chromium work during a BlinkOn 10 keynote tomorrow, and this will include more details on what has been removed and changed over Google’s own implementation of Chromium.

Microsoft is working with Google engineers to improve Chromium for Windows

Microsoft is also working on ARM support for Chromium, alongside PDF enhancements, battery life improvements, smooth scrolling, editing, layout, dev tools, and web authentication. Developers can help test these changes using daily Canary builds of Edge or weekly Developer versions, and Microsoft is expected to release a more stable beta version soon (with updates every six weeks).

Microsoft also notes that “building Edge on Chromium was a relatively smooth process,” and that it has made hundreds of changes to Chromium to produce its Edge version with more than 300 merges so far. It’s clear we’re only at the starting phase of a Chromium-powered Edge, and Microsoft is also developing versions that will run on Windows 8, Windows 7, and macOS.

 

[alakazam]

Microsoft keeps committing suicide in different ways with every new year... :emoji_expressionless:

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

Makes sense to me.

Microsoft already did some of those things in Edge and my guess is that they want to control those features themselves. By doing so allows them to update the various components on their terms, not Google's.

I am assuming that things like adblocking will be covered by extensions and an integrated smartscreen will replace safe browsing. Time will tell, but IMO I don't necessarily see this as a negative as long as its still as good, if not better than chrome. Aside from the engine, you can say that they did build it from scratch.

 

[Nightwalker]

I liked those changes, there is so much bloat on Chromium (and even more on Chrome), so I see it as a positive move.

Chrome native Ad blocking is a Google tool to control the industry ad and it doesnt benefit extension adblockers users anyway, so it isnt a lose and like @Raiden said, many functions will simple be replaced (Safe browsing = Smart Screen).

So far I am pleased with Chromium Edge ...

 

[SumTingWong]

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

I liked those changes, there is so much bloat on Chromium (and even more on Chrome), so I see it as a positive move.

Chrome native Ad blocking is a Google tool to control the industry ad and it doesnt benefit extension adblockers users anyway, so it isnt a lose and like @Raiden said, many functions will simple be replaced (Safe browsing = Smart Screen).

So far I am pleased with Chromium Edge ...

+1

I'm actually quite happy with this also.

If anything, some of these changes may actually benefit Chrome in general as well as other Chromium based browsers. If they are really working closely with Google to help improve Chromium's performance, battery usage, porting it to ARM, etc..., these are things that can benefit everyone using Chromium, not just Microsoft IMO.

I have to admit, while I was a little skeptical and worried when I heard that Chromium has essentially won when MS decided to use Chromium for Edge, maybe having everyone working together to make it better for everyone may not be all that bad after all IMO.

 

[Andy Ful]

Chrome better integrated with Windows. Why not?

 

[Vasudev]

Looks like Google is busy using MSFT's commits to Chrome to make it best.