Microsoft Edge Browser Improved
Also see: Microsoft Edge Books and Reference Guides from Amazon
Microsoft Edge Browser Improved
Recently I have begun noticing Windows 10's Microsoft Edge web browser to be a good deal faster and smoother than even just 6-8 months ago.
I'm basing this on re-testing Edge against alternate browsers on several different computers, with both Spectrum and CenturyLink internet services.
Microsoft Edge can be opened single-clicking the dark blue "e" icon usually located in the lower left area of your desktop screen, on the "task bar".
My original experience with Edge was mixed - lots of quirks. But now I am finding at long last it seems to out-perform the other browsers I most often use, i.e. Internet Explorer 11, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
While I still keep these other browsers installed for special purposes, I decided to re-try Edge as default browser and so far the results are good.
Microsoft Edge is loading webpages faster than ever before, by my observation. It also scrolls up and down your webpages faster and more smoothly than before. Spinning circles are not so frequent.
Customizing Microsoft Edge used to be confusing for most people, but it's easier now than it was.
You can choose your own "Home Page" and customize features and appearance using settings features. Click the "3 dots" in the upper right hand corner of the Edge program. Choose Settings from the bottom of the drop down menu, then go into Advanced Settings from there.
You also can import your "Favorites" or "Bookmarks" from IE or Chrome or Firefox.
If you want to customize your "Favorites Bar" across the top of the browser screen, I suggest use of a special add-on application. This takes a few more steps than I can explain here, but if your browser is getting slow and you're thinking of trying out Edge I can help out with that part of the switch too.
One of the other great features with Edge is the availability of a "Read Mode" - which facilitates reading the content from webpages that are otherwise filled with distracting ads and graphics.
Note - Edge is not available on earlier Windows versions - it only just came out with Windows 10 about two years ago.
If you're still currently using Windows 7 or 8.1, then IE-11, Chrome or Firefox are the main browser choices available. Your speed will depend a lot on keeping your computer free of add-ons and temporary files that pile up over time.
Two other browsers - Opera and Lunascape - often are mentioned as browser options for older systems such as Vista and XP, but for those systems usually the main internet speed issue related to chip speed and amount of random access memory in the system.
UPDATE: MARCH 2018
I've received a few questions recently about switching to the Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 computers. Many computer users are getting messages that Microsoft Edge is faster and more secure.
Other things equal, Microsoft Edge probably will run faster and more secure than Internet Explorer or Firefox. It seems to run about even with Google Chrome in my experience. I actually use all four of these browsers on my home computers. Each of them has its advantages.
Microsoft Edge has the advantage of being fully integrated into the Windows 10 system, so better security, stability and speed are to be expected.
If you're using Firefox and it's running slow, that might be due to "Extensions", "Add-ons" or "Plug-ins" being installed on Firefox without knowing it. Some of these are good to have installed, but a lot of them are junkware and should be removed to get a browser running faster.
(This applies to other browsers too, but Firefox seems to have gotten more prone to this problem over the last year.)
Switching to Microsoft Edge does not mean you lose your home page or email. You can set your own home page, and you can access your email the same as any other browser, by signing into your email prover's webmail page with your same password as always.
You also can transfer your Favorites, a.k.a. Bookmarks, and transfer other password information if you wish, from one browser to another.
Also, you can have more than one browser active on your computer simultaneously with no complications, so you can try out one browser without shutting the door on the other.
One of the great advantages of accessing your email through a web browser is that you can get to it from almost any browser, any device, and any location. You may get security alerts when you log in from a new place or app, but your email will remain intact.
(If you're using an older Windows system (like XP or Vista) and are running into browser problems, contact me about other options such as Opera or Lunascape software.)
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