Forum Discussion
Stable Version
tomscharbach Well this is where we have to agree to disagree. I see it as Tor having taken Firefox ESP (not the Quantum engine itself) and building upon it (or on top of it might be better put) with Mozilla support. Tor developers adding their own "added security/privacy" bells and whistles to it and tied in the opening screen that logs you into Tor Network (which with some reg key changes can be disabled so that the browser can be used without having to access the Tor Network.) Usually when a new stable version of Firefox ESP comes out Tor follows up with a new stable upgrade within a week or so. The change log for Tor 9.0a5 even states "update Firefox to 60.0er" and "This release features important security updates to Firefox." https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-tor-browser-90a4
Even the .exe of Tor in it's browser folder is called firefox.exe (unless they changed it, I last used Tor in May, 2019 but no longer keep the browser on my computer) and all firefox extensions work on it. For me it seems more like Firefox ESR is built off of Quantum engine (formerly Gecko) while Tor is built on top of Firefox ESR which itself is built off of Quantum, and Tor stamping (slowly over time) their name over it (here and there) since it's all open source. Where as Opera based/built their browser since 2013 directly off of Chromium (or Edge is now doing like you mentioned...building directly off of Chromium) instead of say Opera or Edge building on top of Chrome stable which in itself is built off of the Chromium engine. Although I believe Chrome is still mostly closed source (where as Chromium is open source).
There's is...or was...I don't know if it's still in talks of Firefox (Mozilla) merging Tor into their regular Firefox browser as a specialized window of it's own (like the inprivate window but in Firefox case it will open up a private tab that connects you to the Tor network) and adding in the rest of Tor's originally add-on security/privacy codec. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/mozilla-firefox-tor-mode-likely-to-start-as-a-browser-addon/
Tor developers are hard to say. On one side they talk about freedom of speech and allowing people to view websites in private without being monitored or restricted but on another side users have noticed Tors lack of interest in taming or shutting down onion sites known to buy, sell, trade illegal stuff and Tor seems to be anti-NSA to the point of absurdity.
I used Firefox Nightly on/off over the years, but I never clicked with Firefox. Back in the early days of Netscape I used Netscape before IE 1.0 came along and after that I used IE into 2015 before switching to Edge. I use just Edge now and occasional Google Chrome Canary and once in a blue moon I'll download that day's current built version of Chromium (blue Chrome icon) to see if a bug I found in Edge/Chrome Canary is also found in the original Chromium.
Anthony
Let's have this (wait for it) repeated one more & wishfully, last time. To keep it simple & 100% focused on the critical point. We waited a while for the Beta Channel. At a later date there will be a Stable Channel (at which time Canary ends & is promoted to Dev whilst Dev is promoted to Beta; clear as mud, yet?) Anyway...
Here is the one nutshell caveat to live by, at all points in time:
--> Download, install & use ONLY Edge C (Official Insider) Channels ONLY from https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/download:exclamation_mark: <--
Cheers,
Drew
Drew1903 - We agree about the Stable channel at a later date, and for users not to download/use claimed versions into MS releases it officially. So the Edge insider channels will end once Stable is released. Is that a confirmed thing? Some of us were wondering about that and assumed Microsoft would follow Google's route with the Canary, Dev, Beta channels by continuing them even after Stable is released with the insider channels being a flow from Canary up to Beta for testers/insiders that are open to using them on top of the stable version. Mainly because Google Chrome has the same (Can, Dev, Beta) channel flow for Chrome since around 2011 even though they have of course their stable version. I've been using Chrome Canary as a secondary browser for a few years now. Ref: https://www.google.com/chrome/canary/ & https://www.google.com/chrome/dev/
Anthony
Personally, I do not know what the 'long-term' plan is for Edge Insiders once Edge C moves to non-beta, to a non-Insider. But, do I think it is likely EIP (Edge Insider Program) after that?, yes I do. There is something to remember, here. If we go back a few years beta testing did not involve the 'public' not, Consumers or Enterprise. Starting w/ Vista one has to apply & be accepted as a registered MS Beta Tester, then 7 & 8 by invitation. It was when we started working on 10 that the Insider Program materialized. Since & now we have Windows, Office, Bing & Edge Insiders (people like myself can be all 4). There is obvious logic, besides the meaningful Open Source part, that Edge Insiders & the work, can continue, the same as the other Insider Programs. Point is, we did not have Insiders working on products before the last few years. Now, that such approaches are in place, they can invaluably keep working 'behind-the-scenes' to have ever improving & (theoretically) problem-free highly appealing products. Involving Users in the work is very productive; especially, when both Consumers & Enterprise are represented.
Without fussing over names of tracks or how many, point is there is a trend, now, for Insider Programs to exist & plow ahead with their work, for the benefit of all, even after a product goes "GA", to use a non-Chromium term. (Stable being similar to RTM, if one wants to think of it like that). GA = General Availability, as in Official 'Public' release, not beta version & not Insider version. Same as Win10 1903 18362 and then, simultaneously some of us, Windows Insiders, are, also, running frequent Insider Builds w/ a current Build # of 18965. No reason, at all of Edge not doing the same thing, fundamentally; won't surprise me, at all.
Cheers,
DrewDrew1903 Yeah, I hear ya. I remember the Windows 95/98 days of what you said. Beta testing wasn't public open, and it was as you said about applying. Even with non-Microsoft products where sometimes you had to filled out information identifying you had some "computer or software knowledge" (sometimes even asking if you knew C++) to even be considered to beta test software. It wasn't a "open to anyone that wants to jump on board and download the preview builds." Especially in the late 90's when a majority of software was closed source. Today open source is the popular road and it's more public open for beta testing. Every popular browser has channels like these for open public beta testing. Firefox has their Nightly (canary), Dev, Beta builds you can download. Opera same thing (Dev, Beta, Stable) even Apple's Safari has a preview (beta) browser you can use along side their stable version. Heck even Samsung Internet Browser now has a "Beta" version for their android devices (to be downloaded).
I also believe there's a marketing standpoint behind it (at least by Google). Google has their Chrome beta channels (identical to Edge's in name and time frame of update). But they don't just leave them on their web page in obscurity for people to find, they market them out as if they're four separate browsers even indicating they are separate and can run separate from each other. Google declares their version of Canary as "unstable" but with a "bleeding edge of trying all the new features first" type of tag line. And so on and so with Dev and Beta. They not only have the OS versions but Android and iOS where they push them in the play store. Google Chrome Canary has 4.3 stars on the play store with 29,000+ votes. Their Dev browser has 4.3 (or 4.4 as it bounces) with 76,000 user votes and Beta 271,000 users vote around 4.5 stars. So marketing wise it's as if Google has four browsers on the market not just one stable browser and in the background the betas. So whats my point on all this rambling on lol? I can see Microsoft in an attempt of marketing and bringing in more user share keeping open the three insider channels in a way to get people to test the features of each channel but as a way to market four browsers (even if three are beta) to users.
Yes the Edge beta's might not have user support and all that stuff...but from a MS standpoint I would want a user to be using Edge Canary to get their "new feature" fix instead of Chrome Canary or Firefox Nightly (it's there beta version that updates every night) and not to have just my one stable browser competing against Chrome's four browsers that are all promoted out. Now I'm sounding as as if the other three channels aren't beta. We all know they are beta's...Google and MS know they are...and of course we all know what the word beta and alpha is in pre-release software testing, but the way Google "advertises/promotes" they make it seem it is more of "testing new feature before anyone else" than a "beta test Chrome here for future stable releases". Only time the word beta is used by Google with Chrome is with having the word "Beta" across their Beta Chrome icon.When I go Google Play Store and simply put in just the word "Chrome" I get this come up:
When I put in "Edge" I get this come up:
It looks like Google has four browsers "three with new features to test out before everyone else" while Microsoft has only one stable browser. So I wouldn't be surprised to see the Insider Channels stay. As a way to keep the flow of insider testing going as Chrome does with their channels and to market (especially if they make an android version of their new Edge C). Edge as having one supported stable version but three other versions to test out "new features before everyone else" so keep Edge users and newbies in the Edge family and not wander off to try out new features of the beta versions of Chrome and Firefox.
I went off topic of the original post of the, but it's something interesting when it comes to Edge and Insider Program and getting a high user base to use and/or switch to the new Edge.