Microsoft Edge's Latest Feature Called a 'Shameless Cash Grab' by Critics (windowscentral.com) 115
Microsoft Edge recently gained a feature that allows people to pay for online purchases in installments. It's known as buy now, pay later (BNPL), and it's currently in testing on Microsoft Edge Dev and Canary. The option drew criticism from fans and users of the browser that expressed frustration in the comments section of the post announcing the feature. From a report: The center of most complaints is the belief that Microsoft Edge is becoming bloated with shopping features rather than delivering a pure browsing experience. BNPL is optional, but its detractors are against the concept of Edge having shopping features built in. "It's impressive how quickly you can throw away years of hard work and good will with a ridiculous feature like this," said vyrotek. "The Edge teams need to pause and think how they possibly thought this was a good idea. Even the Bing features are getting too aggressive." Cameron_Bush states asks for Microsoft to reconsider the addition. "This sounds like an awful idea that will only be seen as a shameless cashgrab are/or bloat by media outlets. I beg you reconsider pushing this to live. The negative press this feature is going to receive isn't worth it."
Not just Edge (Score:5, Informative)
Was using Notepad the other day and when you highlight text then right click, there's an option to "Search with Bing".
Have not seen a way to change the default search for it, but they are really starting to push their web properties through desktop IP.
Re:Not just Edge (Score:5, Interesting)
Microsoft is really doubling down on the AOLization of everything they own. They want you to be unable to play in other gardens, but since that's going to cause them serious problems, they try the next best thing, and make using their products the default at every possible turn.
Combined with ads in all their 'social' and 'multi media' apps, the hoovering up of data in a way that almost puts Google to shame, we're going to be 'the product' for MS as well. With the small difference that Windows isn't free, in any way, shape, or form.
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Microsoft is really doubling down on the AOLization of everything they own.
Or Appleization -- except for the huge part -- or chunk, as it were -- of them not being Apple.
I think MS is misreading this. They're not Apple. People who want this, choose Apple, people who don't choose something else. Within that "something else" is (mainly) Windows, Linux and BSD. People who want a LOT of freedom and independence choose the latter two. I don' t think this will end like MS thinks/hopes it will. Instead, they'll drive (many?) people to either Apple or Linux and Windows will continu
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I just don't think the vast vast majority of users are even vaguely aware of Linux. They will tolerate M$'s bullshit because they don't want Apple's over priced crap, but they just don't know Linux even exists, despite all the work the various Linux distros have put into making their products really useful. I hate to say it, but it will take MS collapsing for Linux to become even remotely mainstream. The general population will continue to pay the MS tithe for their OS and now their monthly subscription for
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Normally I'd fully agree, but the steam deck gives me hope that it might actually gain some traction, finally.
I think a lot of this depends on how well the Steam Deck works out of the box. I believe, if its a positive experience, this will foster 2 things.
1) and increased level of support for native linux games from gaming manufacturers. (they want their games to run well on the steam deck)
2) (Combined with MS' missteps) it will create a level of interest in linux that just hasn't been there before. Most
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Actually, this has been going on and off for many years! It started back in 2003 when Germany adopted Linux in a big way, then under great pressure from MS and others, eventually reversed course, and went BACK to MS! :( Now, finally, the tables have turned again, and they are reconsidering Linux once more. Perhaps this has been spurred on by the less than stellar Windows 10 and the subsequent shitshow that has been Windows 11. If they want garbage on the desktop, they can at least get it for free! ;)
Her
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I can't speak for the other poster, but in my case, the first incidents with Linux were with just the city of Munich, as far as I can remember, and this later case was concerning a state and not just a city, SO I used the term "Germany" to collectively refer to that city and state, you know, to save time, like the time I'm now taking to respond to a random idiot here on Slashdot who is complaining about my lack of specificity on describing only a PART of Germany.
It would be equivalent to me stating that if
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I see the 'switch' away from MS to Linux as an attempt to get a better deal from MS, not to actually switch to Linux. Want a cheaper price from MS? Be an enormous organisation and then tell MS you're switching to Linux and see how long it will take MS to do the math and come back with a cheaper price.
Everyone wins, except Linux because it's reputation gets tarnished as being harder to support than MS, regardless of whether that's actually true or not.
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Microsoft is really doubling down on the AOLization of everything they own. They want you to be unable to play in other gardens, but since that's going to cause them serious problems, they try the next best thing, and make using their products the default at every possible turn.
But but that's impossible, many Slashdotters have assured me that the new Microsoft is totally different from the old Microsoft, which never really had a monopoly position anyway, but the new one definitely doesn't so it can't possible abuse its users the way the old Microsoft did!
Thanks for noticing that there is no new Microsoft, just the same old abusive corporation that will never change unless it is actually held accountable for its willful damage to the market to harm competitors.
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I don't know how long it's been there, but it's on the edit menu and available via Ctrl-E. Here's the fun thing about that feature: Even if you know about that feature (I didn't) you are not required to use it. I'm guessing most people don't even know it's there.
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Run people, run from Windows now while you have the chance! Bing search in freak'n Notepad. How lame.
Windows is an OS, no need to run. Just ignore it till it stops working for you. I just checked it's in my Notepad too. Never noticed. Never cared. Not going to care either but it doesn't appear in Notepad++. Who uses Notepad anyway?
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Run people, run from Windows now while you have the chance! Bing search in freak'n Notepad. How lame.
Windows is an OS, no need to run. Just ignore it till it stops working for you. I just checked it's in my Notepad too. Never noticed. Never cared. Not going to care either but it doesn't appear in Notepad++. Who uses Notepad anyway?
Indeed. "Who uses Notepad when there is Notepad++" was pretty much my first thought. I also use some Unix/Linux editors via Cygwin, but that is admittedly something for advanced users.
Re: Not just Edge (Score:2)
Why cygwin when there is WSL?
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Actually, cygwin is _not_ a Linux subsystem and that is a pretty big advantage. Cygwin starts no servers, no kernel and needs no additional system administration.
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Use the right tool for the job. Trouble using cygwin as a cross-compilation environment does not make it "immensely problematic". It makes the use-case excessively stupid though.
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Why WSL when there is cygwin?
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Who uses notepad? If I'm at work, I can't install things, and notepad.exe is available. I don't have much choice.
If I'm fixing someone else's computer, notepad is available.
There are loads of situations other than your own personal experience where notepad may be the only or the better option.
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And yet in each of your examples an alternative is available: Wordpad.
No seriously it took 30 years for Notepad to support unix line endings, I honestly didn't think anyone would default to it on Slashdot.
And even if you did use it do you click the "edit" menu? Or did your work disable Ctrl+z, x, c, v and f as well?
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Yeah yeah this lolbertarian spiel is what we always hear when companies crapify their products and start to wall off their gardens.
We're long past the point of "uh if you don't like it, choose another X" because there isn't and also past "build your own X", because they will stop the Internet routing to your location if that is needed to trash it. We are at the "mine your own copper and melt your own monocrystalline silicon sand and bootstrap everything until you can produce electricity and a digital paymen
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Shit man, if you can't find an alternative to Notepad then you should power down your PC, set it on fire and never touch technology again.
Please take your medication and calm the fuck down. Your rant was as angry as it was as incredibly pointless strawman. Please go find a hobby, worry less about irrelevant shit which doesn't affect you and be happier.
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My Windows OS is reminding me to get the next covid booster and cover my face in public. It is selling me stuff on the start menu. It is selling me stuff in the update menu. It is selling me stuff in the menu where I update the bundled helper applications, the store. It is selling me the shill news on the taskbar since a few updates ago until I disabled it.
Yeah. Don't worry about a little more advertising plopping up everywhere around a product I paid for.
I can technically change at any time. Training and k
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I sense your envy, but don't worry - you can have it in Emacs too: https://cute-jumper.github.io/... [github.io]
Re: Not just Edge (Score:2)
Well, at least it's likely more reliable for web search than Missing Google: Must include Google.
I find myself using the other search engines more and more as Google continues to sabotage their own flagship product.
Well, then, quit enabling them (Score:2)
Windows users who keep complaining about this are just like the Facebook users who keep complaining about all the ads but keep going back to the site, day after day.
Microsoft isn't going to stop doing this crap until they see it costing them money.
Linux will run just fine on pretty much whatever laptop you already have. You can also buy a Mac. Either way, you get a good OS that doesn't pull these sorts of stunts.
Re: Well, then, quit enabling them (Score:2)
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but they are really starting to push their web properties through desktop IP.
Welcome to 2021. I see you've missed the last 20 or so years in cryo sleep. Let me bring you up to speed. First, MS has been doing that literally since they discovered the Internet exists. Second, if you hear of something called "Covid-19"...
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Oh, it gets worse than that. On Android phones, starting fairly recently (like, within the last year ish) if you have ANY Microsoft Office 365 apps installed on the phone, a "Search with Bing" option gets added to the context menu when you select a piece of text anywhere systemwide. ANYWHERE. Chrome. Gmail. Your health insurance app. ANYWHERE. And there is no way to disable it.
At some point, Microsoft is just going to have to rip off the band-aid and change the company name to Bonzi Buddy
The 90's called... (Score:4, Funny)
Microsoft is getting closer to having a pawn shop, a rent-to-own and a buy here pay here business.
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More like a whore house.
Nope. A whore house provides a useful service, unlike Windows.
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I'm reminded of an old meme: Windows isn't a virus. A virus actually does something, and gets better technical support.
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Nah, there you get fucked for pleasure.
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More like a whore house.
Urgh. If MS ever opens a Bordello, I shudder to think what kind of perverted version of the actual services you will get there compared to the real thing. Probably will have clippy rape you in the ass with edge or something.
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Don't forget the paycheck loan service with 30% per week interest.
I was a big fan of Edge (Score:5, Interesting)
I was a big fan of Edge until it started popping up this dialog "do you want to set Edge as your default browser". Yesterday, the dialog changed to "Do you want to upgrade your MacOS to Windows-11". The only option was "Yes". I immeidately uninstalled Edge.
Re:I was a big fan of Edge (Score:5, Funny)
I was a big fan of Edge
See, we know you're lying if you don't make the story at least a little believable.
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I was a big fan of Edge
See, we know you're lying if you don't make the story at least a little believable.
Maybe he meant "Edging" or "The Edge", but then... the rest of his comment is really confusing.
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"Do you want to upgrade your MacOS to Windows-11" -- Seriously? Does this happen in Linux too? For both non-MS OSes, what happens the user clicked on it? I know M1 Macs can't run Windows without its Bootcamp. What about in Linux? Does it install to dual boot/overwrite Linux OS?
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Safari lets you automatically use Apple Pay. While this is a little scammy, it is also an innovation to undercut Amazon. Amazon is popular because it provides nearly frictionless impulse purchasing. Apple Pay does this a well. Smaller vendors will benefit from this, especially now that PayPal is less popular.
Somebody should tell Rakuten. That was a shopping experience from hell.
(I'm still hoping that Rakuten Mobile will succeed, but if the financial model for success depends on the linkages to other Rakuten companies, then I better start praying.)
Re:Optional (Score:5, Informative)
Totally agree. The best way to turn if off is by uninstalling Edge. If you just turn it off, it might come back later when you apply patch or upgrade it.
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Yes, because previously uninstalled programs have never magically returned through Windows Update.
Re: If you turn it off, it might come back... (Score:2)
Yes, settings can sometimes be reverted or changed unexpectedly. If it takes a matter of moments to adjust, how much ranting is it worth?
I have a few technological instruments called "clocks". Currently their settings go out by a full hour twice per year. I don't go around advocating that everyone should get rid of their clocks.
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Having settings revert is disruptive to my workflow. Your argument falls flat on it's face when you consider how annoying it is to find the option if they also happen to have moved it. The OS is there to serve my needs not the other way around.
Your clock example is also funny considering there is a whole movement to get the government to stop changing clocks twice a year.
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"how much ranting is it worth?" As much is needed to get M$ to realize the computer running Windows IS MINE. When I make a decision about the operation OF MY COMPUTER I expect it to stay that way. You go ahead and keep playing whack-a-mole with your Microsoft buddies. I'll be over here in the corner marked Linux.
Yes, but all your ranting is based upon *speculation* that the setting will be reverted if you turn it off.
I'm also amused by Linux users who imagine they're immune to problems experienced in other operating systems, such as settings unexpectedly reverting [linux.org], for example.
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"*speculation*" - where have you been since Windows 10 ... under a rock?? It's a well known fact that's been commented on for years.
We're discussing a feature that was announced 11 days ago. Speculation that its settings may revert at some point in the future does not constitute "well known fact".
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Your argument is farcical at best - this isn't a case of some tool drifting in accuracy over time (although if I really had such a crappy tools that drifted so much, they'd all be in the trash long ago and I wouldn't be as cheap with my purchases).
No, this is more akin to someone changing the alarm on your clock by one hour (yes, 1 whole hour at once, not 1-min/day over 60 days), and you finding yourself either 1 hr late for something or else lacking sleep, because of it.
And all your claims about speculatio [slashdot.org]
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Your argument is farcical at best - this isn't a case of some tool drifting in accuracy over time (although if I really had such a crappy tools that drifted so much, they'd all be in the trash long ago and I wouldn't be as cheap with my purchases).
No, this is more akin to someone changing the alarm on your clock by one hour (yes, 1 whole hour at once, not 1-min/day over 60 days), and you finding yourself either 1 hr late for something or else lacking sleep, because of it.
And all your claims about speculation [slashdot.org] are null-and-void, since this (MS fucking up people's settings with later "updates") has been documented repeatedly before.
All your claims about speculation [slashdot.org] are null-and-void, since this (MS fucking up people's settings with later "updates") has been documented repeatedly before.
Get back to me when Microsoft has been documented fucking up this setting. Until then, you are speculating.
One cannot conclude logically that "Microsoft has fucked with people's setting "A" in the past", therefore "Microsoft will fuck with people's setting "B" in the future". You may argue otherwise, but your argument is based on emotion, not on logic
.
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Get back to me when Microsoft has been documented fucking up this setting.
Pfft. Am I your employee? No. Am I your slave? No. Do your own damn research - I've already spent too much time debunking your arguments (as have others here).
But if you arm-chair-critic types are too lazy to do it, I'll certainly do it for you - I charge $65/hour with a 3-hour minimum. Let me know where to send you the bill.
but your argument is based on emotion
Says the one repeatedly arguing for his case with any replies.
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but your argument is based on emotion
Says the one repeatedly arguing for his case with any replies.
Yes. I have made repeated LOGICAL arguments, but some people are so emotionally invested in hating Microsoft that they're impervious to logic.
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Blah blah blah...
He writes, quoting himself.
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Re:Optional (Score:4, Interesting)
I was curious, so I looked to see if I actually could remove Edge. Haha... nope. Microsoft isn't going to let people off the hook *that* easily.
https://support.microsoft.com/... [microsoft.com]
In fairness to MS, you kind of do need to have a default browser installed in order to download a browser that you're actually going to use.
I'd be willing to let them off the hook for this entirely, except for the fact that they force people to use Edge when performing certain actions in Windows, like when opening links from search or widgets on the toolbar. There's simply no good reason to do this, at least from the user's perspective. They've even gone so far as to actively thwart measures to wrest control back from users when they try to get Windows to use their browser of choice in these instances.
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In fairness to MS, you kind of do need to have a default browser installed in order to download a browser that you're actually going to use.
Scratch "default" - it's entirely reasonable to state that a modern OS needs a browser installed.
And (just to cut MS some slack here), maybe the reason you couldn't uninstall Edge was because doing so would have left you without a browser? In other words: has anyone tried uninstalling Edge, with at least one other browser installed to take over its function as (default) browser?
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I use Firefox, which is registered as my default browser.. And did you see the link I provided? Microsoft straight-up states they don't allow people to uninstall Edge, because it's "essential" to various services, like the taskbar link launching (which everyone decries as ham-fisted and unnecessary). I'm also betting that, as with IE, they exposed parts of it as web services for .NET and stuff like that. So, you probably can't really uninstall it without potentially breaking other stuff.
Honestly, as I s
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They weren't broken up after the anti-trust case, so they decided to simply do all of that again.
What a surprise.
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> our default web browser is an essential component of our operating system and can’t be uninstalled.
I seem to remember Microsoft saying the same thing when congress asked them why Internet Explorer could not be unbundled from Windows 95/98 back in the 90's. They had lied since there were videos showing it could be removed. Finally Microsoft tied Windows Update to IE to make it official that IE was critical to the OS.
Of course, this bit them whe
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Totally agree. The best way to turn if off is by uninstalling Edge. If you just turn it off, it might come back later when you apply patch or upgrade it.
Are you just trolling or actually stupid? When applying a patch that re-enables something it would very much likely reinstall said thing as well. There's nothing stopping that.
Except the fact that you can't uninstall Edge. Why is your "best way" to do something one which objectively doesn't work? Trolling or clueless?
Re: Optional (Score:2)
When applying a patch that re-enables something it would very much likely reinstall said thing as well. There's nothing stopping that. I keep reading this. It must make sense to a Windows user. Does that make me stupid too?
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It must make sense to a Windows user. Does that make me stupid too?
If you think executing privileged code from anyone via an update mechanism be that Windows Update, or your Linux distribution's dependency tree doesn't have the ability to not only override system settings, but also install software, then yeah that would make you stupid too.
Though not sure why you think it makes sense to Windows users but not other users, normally it's users from other OSes who are smart enough to understand this.
Whose idea was it? (Score:5, Insightful)
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This sounds like something that was dreamed up in Marketing and shoved down the developer's throats.
Yes, throats.
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It's almost certain that the developers working on it managed to think it was a good idea by the time they built it.
The power of self-justification is incredible.
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It's almost certain that the developers working on it managed to think it was a good idea by the time they built it.
The power of self-justification is incredible.
Indeed. Whoever develops code at MS has obviously been in a "Stockholm Syndrome" situation for a long time.
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MS has developers? I thought they were all marketing, aehm, "people", these days. That would certainly explain the code quality.
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I'm sure that there are some who enjoy it but I can't help wondering how many of them defend it simply to justify their putting up with it.
That ship has sailed (Score:1)
It's impressive how quickly you can throw away years of hard work and good will with a ridiculous feature like this...
ANYBODY who thinks Microsoft has expressed goodwill within the last two decades - if ever - either hasn't been paying attention or is wilfully ignorant. They deserve every inch of whatever Microsoft happens to be shoving up their asses in any particular week.
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It's impressive how quickly you can throw away years of hard work and good will with a ridiculous feature like this...
ANYBODY who thinks Microsoft has expressed goodwill within the last two decades - if ever - either hasn't been paying attention or is wilfully ignorant. They deserve every inch of whatever Microsoft happens to be shoving up their asses in any particular week.
That's my kink!
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Debagged and radished, and hammered home (courtesy of Blackadder)
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Truth despite retarded MicroShills who downvoted you.
No one can morally support anything MSFT does and their defenders are delusional, dishonest or both.
Oh the horror (Score:2)
Microsoft acts for Microsoft. Don't you forget it. (Score:2)
Where did anyone ever get the idea that Microsoft ever does anything for anyone's benefit? Except for Microsoft, of course.
Sometime way back, 2007 or so, Microsoft introduced "Advertising Services Architecture." Right. Did that enable you to sell your shit on Craigslist? No. That enabled Microsoft to push more advertising at you.
Looks like that tech is alive and well today.
Don't use MSFT browsers, problem fucking solved. (Score:2, Informative)
When Dicedot was a tech site that was obvious to all concerned.
If your browser annoys you, use a different browser and ignore the (now gone) annoyance. The only reason to use MSFT shit is to download other browsers and that's been the case since the Netscape era.
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If your browser annoys you, use a different browser
How do I use a different browser? No please tell me. I have three installed, Chrome set as my default. Yet when I click the weather icon in the bottom right it opens in Edge. When I open a help page from within settings Edge. When I do a search from the start menu Chrome. hahahah just kidding, FUCKING EDGE.
Thank god for Edge Deflector. Unless you install that you *will* be using MSFT browsers. Oh wait https://www.ctrl.blog/entry/mi... [ctrl.blog] Microsoft blocked Edge Deflector too.
So unless your answer to someone's b
why can't MS just make a decent browser (Score:2)
people were relieved they at least didn't have to deal with the crappy engine powering internet explorer. seems like it would be an easy job to just package chromium with some skins and extra features, but they're set on making a bad browser. this move makes edge even worse than brave
Stop with the virtue signalling! (Score:2)
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Next up! (Score:2)
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Magic 8-Ball says "Outlook Not Good"
I remember when... (Score:1)
Shamless cash grab? (Score:2)
...by a US corporation? Who's ever heard of such a thing! Can't be true.
Hey (Score:1)
That's outrageous! (Score:2)
"Pure" browsing experience? (Score:2)
What is a pure browsing experience, and who wants it?
Some browsers emphasize security, to the point that they break the functionality of many web sites. Is that a "pure" experience?
Nearly everybody has ad-blockers installed now. Is that a "pure" experience?
Some disable javascript. Pure?
The thing is, nearly everybody and every browser has something that makes it less than a "pure" browsing experience. We do this because these features give us what we want. Some want security, some want freedom from ads, and
Switch to linux (Score:2)
I think Microsoft is using MS Teams to leverage corporate employees into a walled garden. The problem is, many web-services depend on Google Chrome, not the Microsoft clone. If MS Windows breaks Chrome, corporations will switch to Linux to keep their web-services online.
Microsoft exists because IBM didn't create a walled garden. Microsoft might be able to act like a phone/tablet OS to individuals but not to corporations. Now Microsoft is a service, it wants to be the very thing individuals dislike.
and once again... (Score:2)
...the old saying proves true: Get in bed with Microsoft, expect to be fucked.
I don't get why anyone with three working brain cells would even look at Edge. We have Chrome, Firefox, Opera and a few small players. You have to be a special kind of either stupid or masochistic to use a Microsoft browser after IE. Doesn't matter if it seems to render websites properly this time, it was quite clear that some shit like this would happen sooner or later.
And you can be sure it's not the last shit that goes down wit
The old saying (Score:2)
"We value your privacy. Now let us see all of your personal data."
Odd complaints for an open market (Score:2)
I'm very confused. I use Firefox all day every day. Because I like it. I've configured it as privacy-oriented as possible for a reasonable everyday browser.
And then I use Edge, configured to forget everything every time, explicitly as my shopping browser. I'm not interested in paying later (lifestyle choice and privilege), but built-in discount codes is an instant money-saver that I'm not going to ignore.
Legitimately, you've got the choice of about five proper browsers. You're not limited to just 1. Yo
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Slashdot as a cash cow? I must have missed the part where we can click on links for magic mushrooms, can I have some of yours?
You forgot shitty editing (Score:2)
That's far worse as it's so deliberately bad it's sabotage.