Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Windows 10 to force you to use Edge, even if it isn't default browser
The Register ^ | Mar 18, 2018 | Simon Sharwood

Posted on 03/20/2018 2:33:47 PM PDT by dayglored

Grab some popcorn: Redmond has asked for feedback

Microsoft’s about to test a new feature of Windows 10 that will force users to employ its Edge browser under some circumstances.

Revealed in the announcement of Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17623 for Skip Ahead, the change means “we will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge”.

Microsoft’s justification for the change is that Edge is the best, most secure browser on Windows 10.

But the change will reportedly override users’ preference for default browser.

While that’s naughty in lots of ways and makes Microsoft’s efforts to boost its browser’s market share pretty lame, this change won’t have a massive effect because Windows Mail isn’t a big deal. A firm named Litmus tracks email client use and in its analysis of the email market in 2017 found Outlook has six per cent of the email client market, Outlook.com has four per cent and Windows Live Mail had one per cent market share. Windows Mail didn't get a mention. That means it is behind even Yahoo! mail’s two per cent market share not in the same postcode as the 28 per cent share for the iPhone’s email client, 26 per cent for Gmail, and even the five per cent market share for Samsung’s mail client.

And of course the change also applies to a Preview, meaning there’s a decent chance this “feature” won’t ever make it into a proper version of Windows 10.

Microsoft’s post is also peppered with calls for feedback: The Register imagines few comments Redmond receives will be positive. ®


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: browser; edge; edgebrowser; nutjob; windows; windows10; windowspinglist
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-108 next last
To: backwoods-engineer

nice article here.
that consent decree has expired.
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft/long-antitrust-saga-ends-for-microsoft/

Interesting (to me ) side bar - I was testing with a bunch of hacks on an installer protocol called 98lite.
Developed by Shane Brooks.
As MS was telling the court it couldn’t “de integrate” IE from Windows, 98lite did just that an then some.
Using 98lite I ran a 486 DX100 with Win98 without IE and a lot of other MS stuff. The OS footprint was less than 38mb.
We had to modify the shell to make it back to Win95 ( which of course, broke EULA )

Those were wacky days...


61 posted on 03/20/2018 3:52:10 PM PDT by stylin19a (Best.Election.of.All-Times.Ever.In.The.History.Of.Ever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: dragnet2

“Microsoft updates are nasty viruses.”

indeed. which is why i disable updates on all my client’s PCs and I update only once a year or so manually.

And use a program called WSUS update offline:

http://www.wsusoffline.net/

updates are first preloaded by the download part of the program and then later applied offline to each PC to be updated without having to go through the nightmare of hoping every PC’s MS update program works (usually not), and then watching i spend hours downloading all the updates each time.

Furthermore, WSUS update offline downloads and applies ONLY security updates and NOT the rollups, which include security updates as well as whatever viruses MS wants to install.

unfortunately, it’s a bit tricky to use, namely, the MS update service must be re-enabled in Automatic mode (but with Windows Updates disabled from the control panel), plus it makes a temporary user account/loginID for when applyin updates and then deletes the account when its done, so you really can’t tamper with it once you’ve started it to apply updates or it can leave a real mess.


62 posted on 03/20/2018 3:52:34 PM PDT by catnipman ( Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: DeFault User
’m so freakin’ old I still have a hotmail account. (Not my only one but at least I don’t have AOL.)

now that rite thar is credentials 'nuff for a lot of folks here.../smile

63 posted on 03/20/2018 4:12:04 PM PDT by SandwicheGuy (*The butter acts as a lubricant and speeds up the CPU)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: dayglored
The scare tactics headline is misleading.

“we will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge”

I'm more worried about Google taking over the world than Microsoft. But you Lunixtics keep trying.

64 posted on 03/20/2018 4:19:36 PM PDT by McGruff (It's time to investigate the investigators)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

I still use Mozilla Firefox


65 posted on 03/20/2018 4:21:33 PM PDT by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: dayglored

maybe Microsoft feels like it’s falling behind in the ‘spying on it’s users’ game..


66 posted on 03/20/2018 4:24:54 PM PDT by bitt (The first to squeal gets the best deal.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: McGruff
> The scare tactics headline is misleading. “we will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge” I'm more worried about Google taking over the world than Microsoft. But you Lunixtics keep trying.

Not my headline. Yeah, it’s a little overstated and breathless.

I’d agree that Google has the advantage at present.

Trying to do what? I don’t think MSFT is trying to take over the world. They seem content to continue shooting themselves in the foot from time to time. They’ll be around for quite a while yet. I don’t expect Windows to get beaten in the market. The only company that can kill Windows is MSFT.

67 posted on 03/20/2018 4:29:22 PM PDT by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: freedumb2003
Edge sucks mightily

I agree with you
68 posted on 03/20/2018 4:38:09 PM PDT by novemberslady
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: DeFault User

Nothing says old like an .aol address.

lol (which also says old)


69 posted on 03/20/2018 4:40:23 PM PDT by Chickensoup (Leftists today are speaking as if they plan to commence to commit genocide against conservatives.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Still Thinking

Thunderbird has always been my default email client.

I don’t like the Microsoft Edge browser.


70 posted on 03/20/2018 4:42:36 PM PDT by Southnsoul
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: CatOwner

Yes, the new NoScript for Firefox is nice, and I miss that on Brave. But Firefox has gotten so bloated and slow (I’m on 58.0.2) and it seems like you have to put up with an update a day, I’ve generally switched to Brave. I also have IE, old Seamonkey, and Chrome on the machine for specific uses.

When I used to travel a lot, I’d boot Puppy Linux from a DVD while on the road. Now I just use my Kindle Fire while on rare trips.


71 posted on 03/20/2018 4:57:38 PM PDT by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: dayglored

MS getting too big for their britches. I hope this bites them in the ass. I hope something does.


72 posted on 03/20/2018 5:14:19 PM PDT by umgud
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: humblegunner; philman_36
Do you also think the Earth is flat?

Courtesy Flat Earth ping to Phil.

73 posted on 03/20/2018 5:17:02 PM PDT by Windflier (Pitchforks and torches ripen on the vine. Left too long, they become black rifles.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: dayglored

I’ve had trouble paying some of my bills on line with IE and when I switch to Edge, the payments go through. When I call the companies to complain about not getting payments completed and confirmed, they ask what I’m using and then they suggest Chrome or something else..A real nuisance and pain in the derriere....


74 posted on 03/20/2018 5:23:57 PM PDT by Thank You Rush
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dayglored
Our IT dep't specifically instructed us all NOT to use Edge, but to specify MSIE -- or even Chrome or Firefox -- as the default browser.

I only use Windows @ work, where there's a global, 24/7 team in place to support it. At home, it's Mac and Linux only.

< /virtuesignalling>

75 posted on 03/20/2018 5:28:58 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dayglored
More FUD.

“we will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge”.

Are you using the Windows Mail app? It's Microsoft to Microsoft. They're not forcing Edge for everything. They're just locking down link handlers within their own application.

76 posted on 03/20/2018 5:30:50 PM PDT by rarestia (Repeal the 17th Amendment and ratify Article the First to give the power back to the people!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: backwoods-engineer
Doesn’t think violate the Justice Department consent decree against Microsoft from way back in the day? Back in the early 00’s (I think), they were forcing users to use their browser.

GMTA, I read the article and thought the exact same thing. Don't think we're both wrong here.

77 posted on 03/20/2018 5:37:11 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: dayglored

On my Surface Pro, the Edge browser just started opening links in new windows, not just a new tab in the same window. Other than that Edge seems ok.


78 posted on 03/20/2018 5:39:33 PM PDT by Mark was here (Fake news = "Hands up ... Dont shoot")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy
Apparently, MS is removing some of the coding that allows 3rd party software like Classic Shell to work.

That's MSFT. Take a swell product like CS and figure a way to frig it up.

I'm a big lover of Classic Shell. A bunch of my Win 7 stuff looks like XP due to CS. Something I have to constantly remind myself when helping a fellow Win 7 user on the phone.

Win 7 users, we are legion :)

79 posted on 03/20/2018 5:40:55 PM PDT by upchuck (Keep a sharp lookout. The best is yet to come.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: humblegunner

I never liked Internet Explorer, I like Edge even less.

Coming off a Unix based experience, I used and liked Netscape because there wasn’t much of a choice on Irix, Solaris and the DEC systems.

I have noticed of late that my browser (Firefox) has been experiencing slowdowns that also appear in Opera and Chrome.

When you look under the hood there are some things that Microsoft inserted in the latest patch that deliberately slows down these browsers and you have to unwind the inatallation of those DLL’s


80 posted on 03/20/2018 6:02:29 PM PDT by Ouderkirk (Life is about ass, you're either covering, hauling, laughing, kicking, kissing, or behaving like one)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-108 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson