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posted by martyb on Friday December 03 2021, @03:00AM   Printer-friendly

Microsoft Edge now bashes Google Chrome when you download it:

​Microsoft Edge is now displaying in-browser alerts that discourage users from downloading Google Chrome by bashing the popular browser.

As developers compete for control of browser market share, it is not uncommon for them to try and discourage users from downloading competing browsers.

Last February, Windows 10 started to show messages in the Start Menu that suggeted users to switch to Microsoft Edge when Firefox was installed or configured as the default browser.

[...] A few weeks later, Google began telling Microsoft Edge users to switch to Chrome to use browser extensions more securely.

[...] Fast forward almost a year later, and now Microsoft Edge is displaying in-browser notifications that bash Google Chrome when a user attempts to download it.

As first reported by WindowsLatest, when visiting the Chrome download page using Microsoft Edge, users will see an in-browser notification to convince them not to make the change

[...] For the most part, these in-browser notifications bash Google Chrome by insinuating Edge is a more secure browser, that Chrome is outdated and boring, that Chrome is slower and less reliable, and that you can save more money using Edge.

These notifications are stored in the %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge SxS\Application\98.0.1092.0\Locales\en-US.pak file [...]

[...] While users are rightfully annoyed by Microsoft's sniping at Google Chrome, it is important to remember that Google performs similar behavior, although not as direct as what we see in Microsoft Edge.

[...] This will likely eat into Google Chrome's market share, and we should expect to see further sniping like this continue between the companies.


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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @03:17AM (14 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @03:17AM (#1201727)

    If people just stopped reporting news about Microshit and their One Microshit way approach then maybe, just maybe, they would wither on the vine and eventually become bankrupt.

    STOP cooperation with MS
    STOP supporting MS Windows OS
    STOP buying MS hardware
    STOP using MS software and services

    You can stop.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by SomeGuy on Friday December 03 2021, @03:32AM (10 children)

      by SomeGuy (5632) on Friday December 03 2021, @03:32AM (#1201729)

      If people just stopped reporting news about Microshit and their One Microshit way approach

      You seem to assume Microsoft is not the one paying (or incentivizing via leg breaking) for these news reports to appear. They have been a bit more subtle about it since the 1990s, but don't think they don't still do it.

      When a fancy looking management brochure full of propaganda shows up on an executive's desk, you know they will believe and follow every word. When it said, uninstall Netscape, they uninstalled Netscape. When it says uninstall Firefox or Chrome, they will uninstall Firefox or Chrome.

      "Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with added trust of Microsoft" - I cringe at the thought of what they might mean by "trust". Not that I trust Google Chrime at all.

      ...wait, someone is actually USING Microsoft Edge?

      • (Score: 5, Touché) by janrinok on Friday December 03 2021, @07:07AM (8 children)

        by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday December 03 2021, @07:07AM (#1201763) Journal

        wait, someone is actually USING Microsoft Edge?

        Yes! How else do you download Firefox or Chrome on a new Windows system?

        • (Score: 5, Interesting) by maxwell demon on Friday December 03 2021, @07:40AM

          by maxwell demon (1608) on Friday December 03 2021, @07:40AM (#1201773) Journal

          Step 1: Install WSL.
          Step 2: Install a suitable Linux browser via the Linux package manager.
          Step 3: If you want a native Windows browser, use the Linux browser to download the desired browser for Windows.

          --
          The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
        • (Score: 2) by epitaxial on Friday December 03 2021, @02:07PM (1 child)

          by epitaxial (3165) on Friday December 03 2021, @02:07PM (#1201805)

          ftp.exe

        • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @06:17PM (4 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @06:17PM (#1201886)

          Found the computer illterate editor. Curl and or get.

          • (Score: 3, Touché) by janrinok on Friday December 03 2021, @07:11PM

            by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday December 03 2021, @07:11PM (#1201905) Journal
            Well, it started out as a light-hearted quip about downloading a different browser - but you can take it seriously if you wish.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 04 2021, @12:35AM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 04 2021, @12:35AM (#1202014)

            Ok wise guy, how do you download msys2 and/or cygwin? Do they even bundle ftp.exe any more? I mean sure you could just install a decent OS written using a socialist software development model....

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 04 2021, @05:45AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 04 2021, @05:45AM (#1202058)

            I think you meant curl or wget.

      • (Score: 2) by jb on Sunday December 05 2021, @04:35AM

        by jb (338) on Sunday December 05 2021, @04:35AM (#1202275)

        "Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with added trust of Microsoft" - I cringe at the thought of what they might mean by "trust".

        That sentence parses perfectly well. It is possible (and indeed quite easy) to add a negative number to zero.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by JustNiz on Friday December 03 2021, @04:52AM

      by JustNiz (1573) on Friday December 03 2021, @04:52AM (#1201737)

      Sure, individuals can stop, but Individuals aren't the ones that Microsoft are making their money from.
      At least at every company I've ever worked at, the entire IT department worships hard at Microsoft's altar, apparently not least because Microsoft makes sure that IT people get a constant stream of bullshit certifications and other freebies.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @08:27AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @08:27AM (#1201781)

      The correct prefix is MACRO, not micro.

    • (Score: 2) by mcgrew on Saturday December 04 2021, @04:30PM

      by mcgrew (701) <publish@mcgrewbooks.com> on Saturday December 04 2021, @04:30PM (#1202126) Homepage Journal

      That doesn't work. They got dinged by the FTC for exactly the same shit late in the Clinton administration and Bush let them off the hook. As long as we have fascists pretending to be Republicans, big business can do whatever evil they wish. If America's 12th worst president (as judged by historians) would have broken Microsoft up as the previous administration had wanted to, these nonsensical shenanigans wouldn't happen. Neither Microsoft nor Google should be allowed to have a browser. Have you tried reading Google News on an Android with FireFox?

      Microsoft has always been pure evil. Anybody else old enough to remember "DOS ain't done 'til Lotus won't run"?

      --
      mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
  • (Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @03:55AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @03:55AM (#1201731)

    The project managers of Chrome and Edge should get in the cage, no-holds-barred, a battle to the death.

    The Nerd Smackdown Pay-per-view event.

    Then a trans-lesbian FSF suicide bomber crash the event and kill them all.

    Then... uh...

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @04:47AM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @04:47AM (#1201736)

    When I have to use Windows 10, I use Edge. It's good enough. IE was always hokey shit, even back to IE4. Edge is a decent reskin of Chromium, demonstrating that the main feature of the BSD license is that Microsoft can assimilate and sell your code.

    Now let me eat the flesh of Man Jeebus and drink his blood so I can be forgiven.

    • (Score: 5, Funny) by Opportunist on Friday December 03 2021, @05:29AM (1 child)

      by Opportunist (5545) on Friday December 03 2021, @05:29AM (#1201747)

      First you have to do penance. Your penance shall be to whip yourself with a RJ45 cable 3 times a day while exclaiming "I shall not use Edge", furthermore you shall install Debian Linux on your box, and put a picture of RJS on your wall for spiritual encouragement during the ordeal.

      • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @05:36AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @05:36AM (#1201753)

        you shall install systemd on your box

        Heretic! Burn the witch!

    • (Score: 2, Funny) by PinkyGigglebrain on Friday December 03 2021, @06:44AM (1 child)

      by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Friday December 03 2021, @06:44AM (#1201758)

      Embrace Haruna [donmai.us] instead.

      Her Purity shall cleanse thy soul no mater how tainted it may be.

      --
      "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
      • (Score: 1) by Retian on Tuesday December 07 2021, @06:13AM

        by Retian (4977) on Tuesday December 07 2021, @06:13AM (#1202638)

        I doubt she's using that bow right, but then again I only ever used a compound bow. Seems like you'd need a ridiculously loose grip for it to spin around like that on release.

  • (Score: 4, Funny) by EJ on Friday December 03 2021, @07:04AM (4 children)

    by EJ (2452) on Friday December 03 2021, @07:04AM (#1201761)

    Although it seems like Microsoft forgot all about the crapfest they went through over Internet Exploder all those years ago with fines and such, I'm not opposed to them bashing Chrome.

    The only issue I take with it is that they should be recommending Firefox.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by PinkyGigglebrain on Friday December 03 2021, @07:21AM (1 child)

      by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Friday December 03 2021, @07:21AM (#1201769)

      as they say
      "Those who do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it"

      From United States v. Microsoft Corp. [wikipedia.org]

      ...Microsoft illegally maintaining its monopoly position in the personal computer (PC) market primarily through the legal and technical restrictions it put on the abilities of PC manufacturers (OEMs) and users to uninstall Internet Explorer and use other programs

      Seems like MS didn't actually learn anything from it other than spending more to buy congresscritters than they had been before.

      --
      "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
      • (Score: 5, Interesting) by FatPhil on Friday December 03 2021, @09:32AM

        by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Friday December 03 2021, @09:32AM (#1201786) Homepage
        Slapped wrists never work. That was just a hedgehog in the road to a company like MS, this is what they do, and this is what they will continue to do. You need to get full baby-bell on them if you want to have any effect. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakup_of_the_Bell_System )
        --
        Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @03:07PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @03:07PM (#1201813)

      I'd be happier about their bashing Chrome if they weren't themselves also Chrome.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by cmdrklarg on Friday December 03 2021, @06:20PM

      by cmdrklarg (5048) Subscriber Badge on Friday December 03 2021, @06:20PM (#1201890)

      They haven't forgotten. They're just hoping that everyone else has.

      --
      The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
  • (Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @07:38AM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @07:38AM (#1201772)

    Microsoft is doing the world a favour.

    Why would anyone download that Google adware?

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by FatPhil on Friday December 03 2021, @08:22AM (3 children)

      by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Friday December 03 2021, @08:22AM (#1201778) Homepage
      How old is this hagiography of firefox that has perturbed your perception? Firefox is getting closer and closer to garbage by the release. Some extensions can still keep it useful, but can't fully negate its newer anti-features.
      --
      Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
      • (Score: 5, Touché) by maxwell demon on Friday December 03 2021, @09:33AM

        by maxwell demon (1608) on Friday December 03 2021, @09:33AM (#1201787) Journal

        However Firefox is still less bad than Chrome. Although the Mozilla people are working really hard on changing that.

        --
        The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
      • (Score: 3, Interesting) by corey on Saturday December 04 2021, @11:53AM (1 child)

        by corey (2202) on Saturday December 04 2021, @11:53AM (#1202081)

        Some bash Firefox quite regularly here but I’m a daily user of it across a number of machines and it’s working very well for me. Of course with a few extensions (decentraleyes, Adblock Origin, cookie autodelete, etc). I’m not sure what’s so wrong with it that it always seems to get raised in Microsoft vs Google discussions. The interface is fast and functional.

        Anyway that’s my 2c, I don’t intend on starting another Firefox for/against subthread.

        • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday December 04 2021, @12:55PM

          by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Saturday December 04 2021, @12:55PM (#1202087) Homepage
          I still use it too for some websites that don't work in old clone Palemoon, and I've just discovered uMatrix, which adds back the functionality that I missed so much when they idiotically removed it half a decade back. So I might make it my main browser again. However, that's because the race to the bottom has a lot of competition, and I have no favourite that I actually like.
          --
          Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @11:48AM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 03 2021, @11:48AM (#1201796)

      Firefox is good on Android, because it still has real ad blockers. On the desktop, Chrome certainly has its flaws. Yesterday I spent an hour or two figuring out why Chrome scribbles 4GB per day on my SSD even while it's idle, and writing a script to redirect all its garbage to /tmp instead of my home directory. And the latest version has broken the ability to rearrange tabs. But Firefox is so clunky, less compatible (web pages usually work, webrtc video usually doesn't), and offers exactly zero advantages. There's at least one bug in Firefox that equals any given bug in Chrome.

      For years, the Firefox mission statement has been "just like Chrome, except slower and buggier" and they execute that perfectly. Firefox is nothing but a fig leaf so that Google can pretend they aren't a monopoly.

      • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 04 2021, @01:38AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 04 2021, @01:38AM (#1202022)

        Would you mind sharing the hard-earned tip to redirect Chrome scribblings to /tmp ?

        • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday December 04 2021, @12:59PM

          by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Saturday December 04 2021, @12:59PM (#1202089) Homepage
          Heck - do a journal post on the whole endeavour. Despite all the politics stories, this site is still populated with plenty of nerds who would enjoy the tales of the travails. A problem shared is a problem halved.
          --
          Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday December 03 2021, @04:25PM

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Friday December 03 2021, @04:25PM (#1201839) Journal

    Its last release was in March of 2019 and there's been barely any activity on its GitLab recently, but of the "alternative" browsers I've tried, Falkon seems to be the least awful. The two major pain points for me are 1) lack of uBlock Origin, and 2) for whatever reason, it has difficulty with new-type Reddit and some other pages of similar design. Maybe it won't hurt to have this around as a backup? Or a primary, and one of the bigger ones gets used for a site it can't handle...kind of like how IE itself was!

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
  • (Score: 2) by sjames on Sunday December 05 2021, @12:46AM

    by sjames (2882) on Sunday December 05 2021, @12:46AM (#1202236) Journal

    AMD declares that Intel processors are favored by bed wetting knee biters.

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