Microsoft has finally revealed the real name for ‘Project Spartan’, the new browser that will replace Internet Explorer on Windows 10. The new explorer is called Microsoft Edge.
Edge comes with new features like a built-in annotation tool, reading mode (similar to what Apple’s Safari already has) and support from Cortana, Microsoft’s voice-assistant, which will be a part of Windows 10. It also has in-built sharing for social media. Microsoft has also emphasised that the design of Edge is minimal and simplistic.
“Microsoft Edge is the browser built for Windows 10, and it will be available on the widest range of Windows 10 devices,” Joe Belfiore, Corporate vice president, operating systems group at Microsoft’s Build 2015.
The name Edge comes from the EdgeHtml the new rendering engine that Microsoft is using for the browser. This will be the default browser for consumers in Windows 10, although enterprise users will still get the option of using Internet Explorer.
Like Chrome, Microsoft is brining ‘web extensions’ with JavaScript and HTML. Just like one can install apps in the Google Chrome browser, users will be able to install apps to the Microsoft Edge browser and the company is hoping that this will encourage more developers to take to the platform.