Microsoft's revamped Edge is officially ready to go, and suitable for everyday use, with the launch of the full beta version of the browser for Windows and macOS.
In a blog post, Microsoft explains that even though the new browser is still in preview, with this new beta version, "Microsoft Edge is ready for everyday use," or really ready to use.
Previously, Chromium-based Edge preview builds were delivered in Canary and Dev builds, which represent a very recent test build and a relatively newer build, respectively.
Canary is updated daily as well as very recent changes while Dev is updated weekly. The new beta channel will receive major updates every six weeks (with the occasional bug or security patch here and there).
In other words, all the truly brittle things that could happen in Canary or Dev should have been completely removed by the beta, and you'll have a reliable browser. It's a good option for everyday use, as Microsoft points out.
take this beta
The new beta version supports 14 different languages and includes a tracking prevention feature (enabled via a flag). You can download the beta here.
All accounts have been downloaded more than 1,000 times in preview versions of Edge. Microsoft also highlights the contributions made to the Chromium engine, with over 1,000 Chromium commits made.
We've certainly noticed that Microsoft is trying to push Chromium forward, and thus not just the new Edge, but also Google Chrome and other Chromium browsers.
This includes recent changes like planning to improve a laptop's battery life while playing videos, as well as better integration with Windows 10 and more.
On a more general level, this is part of Microsoft's big push into open source, which has been going on for some time.