Microsoft recently re-reinvented its web browser. After finally giving up on bug-plagued Internet Explorer, the company introduced Microsoft Edge, which it hoped would take the internet community by storm.
When that didn’t happen, they re-introduced Edge, this time as a Chromium-based browser, which essentially made it a Google Chrome clone.
The company is clearly not thrilled with that. Since the latest iteration of Edge was released in January of 2020, Microsoft has been working hard to add new features to the browser to differentiate it from Chrome, including a QR code generator and additional code that provides tighter integration into the Windows 10 ecosystem.
Beyond these things, there are a number of other features that have been spotted in beta builds of the product. Here’s a quick overview:
Collections
The latest Edge browser has a unique feature called “Collections.” It allows users to compare items across multiple online retail vendors and combine information about them from a variety of platforms, including Wikipedia, allowing each user to create a highly customized base of research material. Even better, the company has put some effort into this, and has even built a dedicated panel allowing you to quickly reference your collection later.
The latest improvement in the feature is the addition of an “Open Tabs” option. It allows you to re-open all of the tabs from another device you’re logged into, enabling you to access or refine your collections with one-touch convenience.
Extensions Sync
This one is all about cross-browser functionality, allowing users to install browser extensions for both Edge and Chrome, making seamless use of both. The company has extended this basic functionality, allowing you to synchronize your extensions between devices you use, ensuring that you have the same browsing experience on all of your devices.
Miscellaneous Enhancements
Aside from the two big items above, the company is also introducing improvements to the built in PDF reader and adding new group policies enabling network administrators to more easily manage the browser in an Enterprise environment.
These are generally excellent enhancements. As previously mentioned, right now, they’re only available in Canary builds. The broader user base can expect to start seeing them appearing in the stable release of Edge 84 and beyond.
