Microsoft Edge Web Browser- What Are Your Thoughts On The Free Windows 10 Update?

Finally, it’s here. On top of that, Instead of charging you; Microsoft decided they would give you a Free Windows 10 update. What are your thoughts? Have you downloaded the upgrade?

Coming out with the new Microsoft Edge Web Browser, as well as many other features like Cortana (similar to Apple’s Siri), it would appear that things are looking pretty grand for this new update. I mean how can you go wrong? It’s free. They even decided to bring back the start menu that many windows 8 users were upset about losing. I’ve downloaded the update myself. So, let’s dive into a little bit of what we’re getting with this new platform.

Microsoft Edge Web Browser

If you actually like using Old School Internet Explorer, You still can. While Microsoft may be pushing to retire Internet Explorer it’s not going to happen yet. Buried in windows 10 you will still find the browser. Legacy apps is probably the main reason behind the browser still being put into existence. Sadly Internet Explorer is still much needed even with these new updates.

Microsoft edge, I would have to say, is at least an improvement from Internet Explorer. It is rapidly taking shape, but there are no extensions for the browser yet. As well as, the browser itself is a little dull, but that depends how you look at it. Microsoft tries to focus more on the content of the page being visible than the browser itself. This could be a good thing as you are less distracted while browsing. You now have a distraction free reading mode so the sides of a web page get stripped away while you read. Once again this is about putting the focus on the content itself with in the webpage.

The coolest thing about Microsoft Edge, that I like, is web notes. This allows me to scribble all over the web page if I wanted to. You can highlight parts of an article, or maybe circle information that may interest you. If you want, find something you are wishing to get for your birthday, highlight or underline a few words that hint at what you want, and send it to a friend. I’m sure they’ll get the message. While Microsoft has improved their browser, without the extensions and low amount of functionalities, this browser will more than likely not replace your current browser. Test it out, try it. After you’re done, go back to Google chrome.

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From Halo to PC, We now Have Cortana

If you have ever played the Halo games; Cortana was the one that always talked to Master Chief. It already had been released on the windows phones, but now has been brought to the PC as well. Cortana is the answer to Apple’s Siri and Google Now. Cortana is your Voice-powered personal assistant. This can be an exciting feature, but I don’t always take my PC everywhere.

Cortana is integrated with Microsoft Edge to make it easier to navigate through. All you have to do is say “Hey Cortana” And then speak whatever is on your mind. You can ask Cortana questions, Have her tell you jokes, Open up other apps, or even remind you to do something at a certain time. I personally like this only because of all the lame questions I would ask my phone. It also means you can navigate through  your PC without the hassle of clicking everywhere to find something.

You also have the search Bar which is where Cortana Pretty much lives. The bar will give you suggestions of different interests that you may have. I always liked that kind of feature, because sometimes I’m just bored and instead of looking for something to read. Cortana shows me good ideas instead. It simplifies my life.

Did I Mention The Start Menu Is Back?

I don’t know about you, but honestly this is probably the feature I’m most happy about. Growing up you are so used to the start menu that you don’t even think about it that much. Then one day Microsoft decides to be the big bad wolf and snatch it from you. It’s like the saying goes, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” It’s true too. After the Start menu was taken, I felt like I had to learn how to use a PC all over again. It became foreign to me without the start menu. Well it’s back. So now I can be happy again. You still have the live tiles for the different apps integrated with the start menu, so you can organize everything pretty well. They also have a most used tab and most recently added tab creating a much easier way to navigate through your popular apps.

No More Charm Bar

Some people might’ve liked it. I think most hated it. Well it’s gone and been replaced. Now you have the Action Center. It’s placed in the bottom right corner, for easy access, next to your battery life icon. Although it’s not something super special, it does help show you when there are notifications; whether it be an email or some important maintenance issue with your PC. You can also access important settings through the Action Center.

Performance Is An Improvement

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m still testing out everything in Windows 10. It would appear however, that performance has increased. From the visual aspect of things, as wells as speed. The Images appear to be slightly higher quality and more sharp, and the videos run a little smoother. I haven’t really had any issues with it so far. Of course, every system is going to have some bugs. At one point when I was scrolling down a webpage, part of it turned black because of a bug or glitch in the system. I wouldn’t fret over it though, for as it doesn’t appear to be doing it anymore.

Biggest Thing I Dislike About Windows 10

When you look at Windows 10 compared to eight and seven (there was never a nine), I would say it’s a pretty good improvement. Everything has its drawbacks though. The newest version is a combination of great features from both seven and eight mixed with an added touch. The biggest issue I have is one of these added touches is forced updates. No longer do you have a choice on whether you want to or not update your PC. Instead Windows 10 forces you to automatically update every time a new update comes out. This may be great for people that have no idea how to install to updates to the system, but for the rest of us, this can be a nuisance. Instead of allowing an update to work out any kinks that it may have; We are forced to deal with the unknown right away.

Don’t Worry, If You Don’t Like Windows 10, You Can Have Your Money Back

Just joking seeing as most of us are eligible for the free upgrade. On a positive note about forced updates. There is one thing that should really ease your mind about upgrading. If you don’t like the newest version. You don’t have to keep it. Just like how a lot of people reverted back to windows seven, after finding windows eight dissatisfying. You can revert back to an older version if 10 isn’t up to par with what you are expecting. This is defiantly an advantage of trying something before actually sticking with it. On the Bright side considering 5 million people beta tested the first version of Windows 10 for a good portion of a year. I don’t think Microsoft is going to have too many issues with upgrades to the system. For the most part, things will probably go fairly smooth. Don’t take my word for it, though.

Windows 10 Conclusion

Overall, I am very pleased with Windows 10. This is supposed to be the last version that comes out, which means we can expect plenty of updates through it’s life. It’s defiantly an improvement from the previous versions but will take a while to get a feel of the whole system, before I can make a real opinion of how well windows 10 performs. But as of right now, I like some of the new features. I’m glad the start menu is back. Even though Microsoft Edge is still in an infant form, it has potential to do well. Of course, until then I’m not sure how often I will use the new web browser. There are still other features that I didn’t discuss but overall I think you got an idea of everything.

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You can learn more about me here. Please leave me comments. I would love to hear your thoughts on Windows 10. Have you downloaded it yet? What are you happy about? What do you dislike? What are your opinions about Cortana, Microsoft Edge, etc..? Let me know below.

All of you have a great day,

Brandon