Late last year, Microsoft announced that it was going to rebuild its less than popular Edge web browser using Google’s open source Chromium browser engine. The move will allow Edge to run on more devices, including Macs and Windows 7 devices, and also tear it away from Windows 10 so that the browser can be updated as an app and not part of the operating system.
While Edge/Chromium has yet to become publicly available (it’s expected to be launched in preview to a select set of testers first), more indications continue to appear suggesting that a semi-public release is getting closer. Early this month, some early bits of documentation for Edge/Chromium showed up online, along with a couple of screenshots.
Now, as found by HTNovo (via MSPU), an installer download is now live. The link does install “MicrosoftEdgeSetup.exe”
but then fails, as the installer is only available for Microsoft employees and “Azure Premium” users now, according to the blog post.
The transformation of Edge from a proprietary, part of the Windows 10 OS, locked down system to a cross device and cross platform, open source browser, and whether that move will have any effect on the disappointing usage numbers for Microsoft’s successor to once-dominant Internet Explorer, will be one of the most watched stories of 2019. Stay tuned as we learn more about Edge/Chromium!
