When Microsoft announced in December 2022 that it was working on a new version of the Microsoft Edge browser based on Chromium, Google's open source platform on which Google Chrome is based, everyone was pleasantly surprised. While in April 2022 the first beta was released giving everyone the opportunity to try it, starting today, finally, the previous version of the Microsoft Edge browser integrated in Windows 10 is replaced and updated with the new Edge Chromium on all PCs. Not only that, Microsoft Edge, which until yesterday could only be used on PCs Windows 10 (as well as on Android and iPhone smartphones), is also available for Windows 8.1, for Windows 7 (support until 2022) and also per Mac.The fact that Edge is based on Chromium, even if it brings the Microsoft browser to be more like Chrome, is still good news, because it allows its users not only to be familiar with the settings and options, but also and above all because it becomes possible to install Chrome Web Store extensions, numerous and often indispensable, on Edge.
How to download the new Microsoft Edge Browser
The new Microsoft Edge browser it is installed automatically on Windows 10 and on Windows 11 after installation. If you want to download Edge because it is missing or to receive the latest version, you can use this direct link from the Microsoft site.The installation of the new Edge replaces the previous version of Edge (which then disappears).
In case you want to keep the old Edge on your computer, you can install a Microsoft Blocker Toolkit tool that prevents Edge from being deployed via Windows Update.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, Edge can also be downloaded for Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Mac, in stable and final version, using the link above or even using the Microsoft website.
It can also be download Edge for Linux, compatible with most distributions, via installer .deb o . Rpm.
The new Edge can also be distinguished from the old one by the new blue and green icon that replaces the icon with the blue e (which was too reminiscent of Internet Explorer).
If you want, you can also download one of the beta versions from the site microsoftedgeinsider.com. If you download the Edge Beta on Windows 10, it doesn't replace the old Edge and can be installed as a separate browser.
if it helps download the installer for Microsoft Edge to distribute it to multiple computers or to choose the version, you can go to the page https://www.microsoft.com/it-it/edge/business/download and choose whether to download Edge for Windows 32-bit or 64-bit, for Mac , for Linux and with every version.
ALSO READ: Download Microsoft Edge for Android and iPhone
How Edge changes and features of the new Microsoft browser
Being Edge based on Chromium, it is very similar to Chrome, with a different graphics (very different), but with the same options and features (even something more).The interface of the home card which shows the search bar in the center, the icons of the most visited sites at the bottom and then, below, a section with the news of the day, can be changed. By pressing the gear icon at the top right (the one in the background), you can select one of the three layouts available for the New Tab: Search, blank page with search bar and icons of the most visited sites, Inspiration, add a background image extracted from Bing, and while Information, the most similar card to the old Edge, with the news stream from Microsoft News to read. You can also click on Customize to choose whether to hide the news, whether or not to remove the background and whether to display the icons of the most visited sites, leaving only a black background with a search bar if you prefer. Also from the gear menu, it is possible to cchange the language of news, then choosing those from sites in the country.
With regard to the news section, you can click on the word Customize in the header at the top left to choose the topics of the news you want to read.
At the top, in the address bar, there is the button to add favorites and to see the options menu (the one with three horizontal dots), which is pretty much the same as in Chrome. There are therefore buttons to manage history, open favorites, see the progress of downloads, install and manage extensions, save a page, print and also a button to hear the reading aloud.
Clicking on Settings you can choose to view the many browser configuration options, with the ability to log into your Microsoft account for synchronize your favorites between PCs and mobile phones, with the possibility of import bookmarks from Chrome or other browsers, with the password manager and then the privacy settings. In the settings it is possible change language and put Edge in the country in case it was downloaded in English. You can also change default search engine, replacing the useless Bing with Google.
Another interesting tool from Edge, which is missing in Chrome, is that of the immersive reading. By opening an article like this, you can then press the immersive reading button that appears next to the star to add to your favorites on the address bar. The article will then open in a new customizable graphic (you can also use the night mode), with the possibility of listening to the reading by voice.
To top it off, the best part of the new Edge is that you can install Chrome extensions. Visiting the Chrome Store you are asked to enable the "Allow extensions from other archives" setting at the top and just give the authorization to be able to install all the extensions you want, directly from the Chrome web Store. Since the Chrome extensions all work without problems, I would say that Edge can be considered a really serious alternative to replace Chrome permanently, especially if you like graphics and if you no longer want to be linked to the Google account.
