Located at Edge[サイドバーで開く]The feature is just one of the features that make Edge work as a Linux browser. Jack Warren/ZDNET
Microsoft software on Linux? Who would have thought?
That certainly wasn't the case.
In my early days with Linux, you could hear me screaming from the top of a mountain that I would never use MS software. That was then, this is now.
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My idea of software at this point is that whatever tool does the job, that's the tool I use. That's why I adopted MacOS for video editing and installed proprietary software on Linux without a second thought. But what about Microsoft Edge? Are you serious?
Yes, it is.
I'm not saying that I'm already adopting Edge as my default browser, since Edge is still part of Opera. Of course, if The Browser Company ever ported Arc to Linux, I would switch in a heartbeat.
Also: 5 reasons why Opera is my favorite browser (also check out)
But the only Edge I wanted on my computer was the guitarist for U2. Lo and behold, I have changed my attitude, and there are some very specific reasons for that.
Let me explain.
1. Start page
Most people take their browser's start page for granted. not me. With a Start Page, we want to not only make it easy to open a new web page, but also to help you stay informed, find information, or quickly jump to a specific page. What I appreciate about MS Edge is that you can customize the start page to a degree that most browsers cannot. You can choose from Focused, Inspirational, Informative, or Custom layouts.
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You can set the number of lines in Quick Linux, add themes, decide whether to display content, and add/remove channels as news sources. Some might think the Edge start page is a bit of an overkill, but if you want to stay up to date with news and information without having to open tab after tab of different news sites to stay up to date. It's perfect for.
2. Performance optimization
This feature (opens as a pop-up sidebar) provides warnings about browser performance/security and provides recommendations on how to improve those features. From within Browser Essentials, you can start by seeing how much memory is saved by Sleeping tabs (enabled by default), view statistics on how Edge protects users around the world, and even check out our free VPN You can also enable .
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However, the most important Browser Essentials feature is the three-dot menu button.[Edge Optimize Performance]Go to the page to enable efficiency mode, manage sleep tabs, enable performance detector, and more. Another great feature you can access from this page is the sleep tab whitelist. If you use the Sleep Tabs feature (which can improve performance by putting inactive tabs to sleep), create a whitelist of sites that never go to sleep. This is perfect for sites that need quick access at any time.
3. App
Similar to Chrome, you can “install” a site and run it in its own separate window without all the usual Edge extras. I think all web browsers should have this feature because it allows you to use certain sites as if they were apps in and of themselves.
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The difference in how Edge and Chrome handle this feature is notable; in Edge, you can click the browser menu,[アプリ]>[このサイトをアプリとしてインストール]Just click. In Chrome, go to the browser menu and select[保存と共有]>[ショートカットの作成]Click[ウィンドウとして開く]Make sure it's enabled. Edge is getting this right, and Google should take note.
4. Open in side tabs and sidebar
Sometimes the simple things can make life easier. Users have been working with tabs at the top of their browsers for decades, but the side tab layout is simply better. Chrome requires you to install an extension to display vertical tabs, but it's still not as well laid out as Edge. Edge also has a very useful feature that opens tabs in the sidebar.
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This feature allows you to open one site in the primary pane and the other in the sidebar, allowing you to view two sites at the same time in the same window. This is perfect for sites like X that only need to display a narrow feed. The only downside is that, like Chrome, Edge doesn't have tab management features close to those in Arc or Opera. But both Arc and Opera set the bar very high in that regard.
5. Tracking prevention
What I like about Edge is that it seems to take cues from both Firefox and Chrome, giving you the best of both worlds when it comes to tracking prevention. Not only can you choose the level of tracking protection (basic, balanced, or strict), but you can also add exceptions and set strict mode when you're in a private window.
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You can also easily access to see which trackers have been blocked (and how many times each tracker has been blocked). This type of information makes it easy for users to understand how many trackers are blocked, which sites are using those trackers, and how to quickly erase their data. As far as I know, no browser should ever be able to manage Tracking Protection this easily.
That's not the only reason why Edge could be the browser of the future on Linux. But the only thing preventing me from doing so at the moment is that Opera has great tab management features and I'm working with way too many tabs, so I'd like to use fewer tabs. It means you can be satisfied. Still, Microsoft Edge impressed me and will become my second browser on Linux until I take a hint and improve tab management options.
