Rounding up reactions to Microsoft's plan to adopt Google Chromium for Edge

Microsoft Edge logo in Windows search
Microsoft Edge logo in Windows search (Image credit: Windows Central)

Last week, Microsoft announced that the company is going to rebuild Edge from the ground up using the Chromium open-source project along with the Blink rendering engine. This is a huge deal, for both users and web developers, as it means there's now one less rendering engine to code for. For users, this should result in websites behaving the same across Edge, Chrome, and Opera, but it also means there are now only two rendering engines in use.

When we reported on this news last week, the internet was divided. Many people were somewhat optimistic about this idea:

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Even web developers were happy to hear about the switch to Chromium and Blink for Edge:

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Not everyone was pleased, however. Many online think this is a terrible idea:

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Some were already satisfied with Edge:

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Others believe the move was inevitable:

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There's also the idea that a "browser made by Microsoft" is the problem and that switching to Chromium won't change anything:

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There's much to unwrap regarding the switch to Chromium and Blink for Microsoft Edge. Many don't understand why Microsoft is doing it, citing the fact that they think Edge is good enough today, and others are happy to see Microsoft attempting to build a better product for users. Web developers appear to be somewhat divided, with some thinking this is great, as they no longer have to code for Edge in addition to Chrome, but other web developers think this is terrible, as less rendering engines will likely result in less innovation and more control to a single entity.

Whichever camp you fall into, the fact of the matter is Microsoft is doing this so that it no longer has to pour resources into a web browser that so few people use. Building on top of Chromium will allow Microsoft to use a base that is already mature, and customize it to their liking by adding Microsoft-specific features and functions. There's no guaranteeing that this will make people want to use Edge, but it will improve web performance, as most websites today are built with Chromium and Blink in mind anyway.

Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads