I switched to Microsoft Edge from Google Chrome, and I liked it

After using Google Chrome for most of my years, the recent integration of AI with the Bing search engine and the Edge browser tempted me to switch to the new browser that is making news.

Surprisingly, Edge does seem to be the better browser than Chrome, with far better features to help you work, multitask and organise projects effectively.

Switching to Microsoft Edge was like trying out a new pair of shoes, slightly uncomfortable at first, but the more you use it, the more comfortable you get with all the services and features. Most importantly, the switch from Chrome was seamlessly easy, as Edge synced all of my data from Chrome so I could begin work immediately without having to reopen regular tabs and re-login to accounts.

Here are a few features I noted to be significant when comparing the experiences of the two browsers.

The Design

The new Edge browser has a simple design pretty much like Google Chrome, so the move will not seem awkward and out of place. The browser does, however, let you place your tabs vertically on the left side for a different experience and convenience. I, however, preferred to minimize the change for an effortless move, and retained the horizontal tabs at the top.

Features

The features are the primary reason why you should move to Edge browser, many of which are unavailable on Chrome. The right click with your mouse opens up a range of options for the particular webpage. The browser lets you group certain tabs together in a collection so that you can effortlessly move between different tabs for work or personal research. Moreover, the Edge Bar floats around the edge of the laptop’s display for a quick look into news and weather or other Edge features.

The Microsoft browser has a built-in AI assistant like Grammarly to keep your writing grammatically correct on any site. Interestingly, Edge offers a Read Aloud feature, that reads out the webpage opened for you, especially when you’re too lazy to read lengthy information online. Another cool feature of the browser is its ability to screen capture a webpage easily, along with tools to crop or paint on the picture, which can either be shared, saved to a local device, or copied to clipboard.

The webpage, however, cannot be cast to other devices using ChromeCast, unlike Google Chrome. Microsoft Edge uses Miracast and DNLA protocols for this service.

Syncing

While Edge easily synced most data from Google Chrome like favourite webpages, login information, and history, it cannot sync themes, addresses, and phone number information. User data can however easily be transferred between the two.

Security and Privacy

Edge has better privacy settings features than Chrome, like blocking trackers from sites you’ve visited and those you haven’t, reducing the odds of your personal information being shared on the net. The browser also uses Microsoft Defender SmartScreen against malicious attacks from viruses on sites.

Bing Vs Google

While Bing’s AI chat is still only available to a limited few, Microsoft has opened applications for early access to some users and I gained access to the ChatGPT rival. The Bing Chat feature works pretty much as a search engine providing quick precise answers from the web, along with ChatGPT-style generated content. While many have already contested the information provided by Bing Chat before, I found it to be a useful addition to web searching. Time will, however, tell how authentic the information provided is.

In addition, Bing’s interface makes my day with beautiful photographic pictures and provides me with an essential overview of everything on a board. It’s like opening up the Windows Start Menu for news and information of the day. While the search results are pretty similar to Google Search, Bing has different features along with images, videos, translate, news, chats, etc, while the Chat feature can narrow down search results and write content for you.

Microsoft Edge is a good change from Google Chrome, especially with the additional features that aren’t available on the latter browser. Moreover, browsing is more convenient and allows for seamless switching between tabs and different projects.

If you haven’t given Edge a try, it's time to do so, as Microsoft strives to add more AI services into the browser for a better user experience, and Google seems to be falling a bit behind in the global AI race.