Microsoft vs Google browser fight gets ugly with Edge pop-up Chrome diss
Pop-up suggests Chrome is a has-been browser and ‘so 2008’
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Microsofthas fired more flak at theChrome browser, trying to persuade those who are attempting to download Google’s web browser that Edge is a superior piece of software.
AsNeowinspotted, in the scenario that you are using Microsoft Edge, and you head over to downloadGoogleChrome, Edge will serve a pop-up promoting itself – there are actually several messages which have been spotted on bothWindows 10andWindows 11systems.
One of them insists: “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft.”
And another pop-up really goes for the throat, stating: “That browser is so 2008! Do you know what’s new? Microsoft Edge.”
Do you know what isn’t new? Microsoft badgering users who are already using one of its products (Windows) to use its other products likeEdgeandOneDrive– and this practice was getting old some time ago.
Analysis: The heavy hand of Microsoft
As we’ve said before, this kind of promotional activity inevitably puts us in mind of the nag-fest days when Windows 10 was first launched, and Microsoft set about trying to convinceWindows 7and 8 users to take the free upgrade. It felt unnecessarily heavy-handed back then, andit still does now.
I suppose one thing we can be thankful for – sort of – is at least the pop-ups are gaining something of a sense of humor. Calling Chrome ‘so 2008’ did elicit a chuckle from us, but we guess you could argue this perhaps serves to remind people that Google has been working to refine and hone its browser for 13 years now. And just because something is ‘new’ does not equate to it being good (that said, we do thinkEdge is a good browser, in fairness).
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As for: “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft.” Well, it does indeed use Chromium – along with a number of other browsers – but as to the ‘trust’ of Microsoft, that’s a pretty bizarre angle to throw in. What is Microsoft trying to suggest? That Google is anything less than unimpeachable in the browser world? Tsk, tsk, whatever next…
To be honest, we are wondering what on earth Microsoft will do to promote Edge next, as the gloves are seemingly coming off. But the real shame here is that Edge promotes itself quite well on its own merits, and any perception of verging towards desperation to drive adoption will surely backfire.
ViaWindows Central
Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - ‘I Know What You Did Last Supper’ - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).
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