So long Edge – Microsoft to replace Edge with Chromium-based browser

We speculated recently on how long the increasingly ruthless Microsoft would keep supporting Edge, which has a low single-digit desktop market share.

According to some news which has wafted over from the WC, it seems the answer is not too long anymore.

They report that Microsoft is working on replacing the EdgeHTML rendering engine with a Chromium-based rendering engine as used by Google Chrome, Opera and Safari, which should result in a more compatible web browser with less work to maintain.

Code-named Anaheim, the browser is set to hit the Insider track early next year, in time for 19H1, and will eventually completely replace Edge.

Microsoft is already using Chromium for their Edge for Android browser, and moving to Chromium would save resources and should mean Microsoft will be able to support extensions written for Chrome. The bigger issue would be the shell of the browser, however. EdgeHTML already offers a smoother experience on Windows 10 than Chrome, but suffers from extreme immaturity, offering fewer options for most users that even Internet Explorer, meaning any serious user will be using Chrome sooner rather than later.

Would switching to Chromium make more of our readers consider the new Microsoft browser, or is the shell of the browser a bigger problem? Let us know below.