Please! New Edge should not replace Legacy Edge automatically In January.

Iron Contributor

According to Thurrot.com 

 

"Instead, it will ship the new Edge to PC makers immediately, even though it’s incomplete, and roll it out automatically to current Windows 10 users as well. Microsoft will not support running legacy Edge side-by-side with the new Edge either; when you install the new Edge, it will replace the old version."

 

Link https://www.thurrott.com/cloud/web-browsers/microsoft-edge/221502/microsoft-edge-to-launch-without-k...

 

I feel that because new Edge is missing so many of the features of legacy Edge this would be a real mistake. I have been using and enjoying the different channels of new Edge and think that some day it will be a great browser if development continues, in fact I would already says its better than Chrome, at least for me. But I still also use legacy Edge as well and to take it away without offering the same feature set in the new Edge would hamper my ability to work and would also make me seriously consider moving to Firefox on my computer and phone. I know that for lots of folks they wont care but for me its a real problem.

18 Replies

@GilesBrule Yes! @Elliot Kirk. This is the biggest mistake that was made with the legacy edge. It was shipped incomplete with no features and was buggy. Allow it to be downloaded and run side by side, and when most features have migrated over, and all the bugs have been ironed out, and the Insiders agree that it is ready, then release it.

@GilesBrule "I feel that because new Edge is missing so many of the features of legacy Edge this would be a real mistake. I have been using and enjoying the different channels of new Edge and think that some day it will be a great browser if development continues, in fact I would already says its better than Chrome, at least for me. But I still also use legacy Edge as well and to take it away without offering the same feature set in the new Edge would hamper my ability to work and would also make me seriously consider moving to Firefox on my computer and phone."

 

The Release Candidate (79.0.309.nn, or the current Beta) is a solid basic browser.  It will meet the needs of 75%+ of consumer users, but, as you note, it is missing a lot at this point, and looking at the development path going forward, I suspect that the release version will come as a rude shock to EdgeClassic users who take full advantage of the capabilities of that browser. 

 

But I don't think that consumers are going to change Microsoft's release/deployment planning in this regard.   Serious push back from Enterprise customers might, but based on the opinions of friends in Enterprise IT shops, EdgeChromium has been developed to date with a focus on the needs of Enterprise customers and most plan to deploy it after full integration testing, so I don't think that Enterprise customers will push back.

 

Firefox Quantum is an superb browser, and if you are forced to move in that direction, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.  I use Firefox as my primary browser because I need a Android-Linux-Windows cross-platform browser, so I can't move to EdgeChromium at this point in any event.

 

Microsoft's release/deployment strategy is interesting, in a "Huh?" sort of way.  I suspect that it is driven largely by the needs of Enterprise customers.

I think it will be pre-integrated into the OS at a later date (some months later) and soon after release date, it will be offered as an optional update in Windows update so that users can easily ignore it if they want to.

@GilesBrule Members of the Edge (Chromium) team had a session about the "State of the Browser" at Microsoft Ignite and as I understood one point they made about GA of the new browser is that legacy Edge will still be there but tucked away on the OS - so it is not a replacement and delete it seems.

@tomscharbach 

 

They have been given the feedback that relasing a basicly broken browser that removes functionallity we do use today is NOT a way to make us Enterprise customeers happy.

I spoke to Colleen about it Yesterday for example

 

As I have been saying for a long time.

* Needed functions must be implemented. For me that is

    - The functions in the favorites menu must be ported

    - Epub support must be ported

* THe GUI must be as close to Edge HTML as possible to minimize retraing costs.

* The GUI must remain unchanged after that since retraining costs huge amounts

 

To NOT fullfill this will only make the companies choose Chrome instead since it's a lot more mature browser

 

@matsmcp "To NOT fullfill this will only make the companies choose Chrome instead since it's a lot more mature browser."

 

Be that as it may, unless you heard something different at Ignite 2019**, Microsoft is going ahead with the release/deployment, using Version 79 as the Release Candidate.

 

With respect to your point about training/dislocation costs, I've been the IT Director of an Enterprise customer, so I understand the point and I agree.  The friends I talked to recently (in both cases, people I mentored in their IT careers) are worried about training/dislocation costs going forward, because of the refresh cycle used by Chromium-based browsers, including both EdgeChromium and Chrome.  But both seem to believe that the cost of deploying two browsers (IE and EdgeClassic) outweigh the costs imposed by initial deployment dislocation and a rolling development cycle.

 

I don't mean to imply that Version 79 will actually be deployed by Enterprise customers.  I don't think that it will be.   Almost all will use the Release Candidate for integration testing and to prepare deployment/training plans/materials, but not deploy.  In fact, I would be surprised if more than just a few Enterprise customers deployed EdgeChomium for six+ months after release.  By that time EdgeChromium will have been materially improved.

 

We all have opinions.  I personally think that Version 79 isn't ready for prime time.  Microsoft obviously thinks that it is, and it is Microsoft's call, not mine.

 

================

**I'm not in attendance because I'm retired, but I've reviewed the videos of each session relevant to browser development.

@tomscharbach 

 

I agree. 

The list of missing features are to long.

There are too many outstanding bugs.

The testing is not done to a good level

I completely agree with you.
And in fact, in my opinion, the new Edge should only be released after it's completely done, with ALL of the legacy Edge features, Fluent Design properly implemented AND sync completely working.
This decision of launching the browser while it's still incomplete is terrible and will only keep users away and even push the legacy Edge users to other browsers!

@GilesBrule 

 

You can run the old Microsoft Edge (Edge HTML) and new Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) side-by-side, by enabling an Allow Microsoft Edge Side by Side browser experience Group Policy:

 

When this policy is “Enabled”, Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) and Microsoft Edge (Edge HTML) can run side-by-side after Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) is installed.

For this group policy to take affect, it must be configured before the automatic install of Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) by Windows Update.

Note: A user can block the automatic update of Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) by using the Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Blocker Toolkit.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-update-policies#allowsxs

 

Tutorial available at TenForums.com:

How to Enable running Microsoft Edge (Edge HTML) and Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) side-by-side

 

 

 

 

I down loaded by mistake when checking updates for edge and did not know new version was available - do no like it - I guess there is now way to go back to legacy!!!
Thanks

Thanks - but I already downloaded the new version before I knew it would remove the

old edge - and for the policy download it says for business - I am just a user.

@HotCakeX 

1. Edge legacy is not removed, just hidden.
2. business is just a label, don't worry about it. that's the place to get policy files.

Thanks again - can't get the down load for the gpeditor installer to work.

@HotCakeX 

Yw,
If you have Windows 10 pro, you already have gpeditor.
if it's bothering you too much the easier way is to uninstall it. the old Edge will automatically come back

@HotCakeX Thanks - but I have the Home version of windows - but all of a

sudden a few things that were not working with the other edge are now 

working with the new version - I am sure they will correct things along the way!!!

That's good to hear and yes for sure :)