Microsoft Edge Browser: Can It Challenge Google Chrome’s Dominance

In late July, Microsoft revealed Edge Browser, the replacement for Internet Explorer on Windows 10 platform. It designed Edge from the scratch as a minimalistic web browser. But a number of reports recently highlighted that Edge had been shedding market share each month since its launch. According to a report posted on ComputerWorld.com, “Data from three sources showed the decline both globally and in the U.S.; in the latter, the browser — and Windows 10 — have attracted a larger percentage of users than overseas’ markets. The numbers for each source differ — largely because of their varying methodologies — but all illustrate the same downward trend.” There are also a number of reasons why Edge failed to challenge the dominance of Google Chrome.

Why Edge Browser Failed to Challenge Google Chrome’s Dominance?

Available Only for Windows 10

At present, Edge is available to those users who have already switched to Windows 10. But according to the November 2015 Market Share posted on W3Counter.com, Edge is being used only by 6.35% of users, whereas 29.85% of users still use Windows 7. Likewise, Windows 8.1 is currently being used by 7.30% users. The data clearly depict that a large percentage of users are yet to migrate to the latest version of Windows. As Edge is currently available exclusively for Windows 10 platform, its market share and popularity is being impacted adversely.

Lacks Common Features Offered by Chrome

Microsoft has built Edge from the scratch. But Edge still lacks some of the commonly used features provided by other web browsers. For instance, it does not allow users to reopen the recently closed tabs. Also, the users do not have any option to search through their history. Likewise, they cannot pin a specific website to the taskbar. According to many bloggers, new features are being added to Edge at a much slower pace. However, Microsoft added several new features to Edge by releasing a major update in November.

Do Not Support Add-on or Extensions

It is a common practice among modern users to customize web browsers according to their specific needs by adding add-ons or extensions. Edge does not support add-ons or extensions. Microsoft recently announced that extensions for Edge would be available only in 2016. But the company has not mentioned any specific timeline or road map for releasing extensions for Edge. The lack of add-ons or extensions affects the overall functionality and performance of the web browser. Many Windows 10 users to switch to Chrome and Firefox to avail various add-ons and extensions.

Inherited Security Loopholes of Internet Explorer

A security patch for Edge released by Microsoft in December revealed that Edge has inherited several security holes of Internet Explorer. While reviewing the patch, many analysts felt that both Edge and Internet Explorer were developed based on the same foundation. Microsoft has released the patch quickly to make Edge more secure. But the security loopholes found in the web browser will have an impact on its popularity. At the same time, the overall security of Edge is also being affected as users do not have any option to add security extensions.

Shortcoming of Windows Universal App Platform

Microsoft has designed Edge as the default browser for Windows Universal Apps. The Windows Universal App platform enables web programmers to create apps by targeting a variety of devices powered by Windows 10. So the Windows 10 users can access the desktop and mobile version of the app in an identical manner. But many users love to access the applications on different versions of the same website. That is why; many users expect the desktop and mobile version of Edge to function differently. Microsoft must make Edge deliver more personalized user experience to challenge the dominance of Chrome in the longer run.

At present, Edge is available only for Windows 10. So its popularity and adaptability is fully dependent on the popularity of Windows 10. But the users also have option to use Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox on Windows 10. Microsoft needs to make Edge available to different operating systems to boost its popularity and market share.