If I told you that the computer screen in front of me is displaying an application I have never installed, which magically appeared on my desktop, pinned to the taskbar, and launches whenever I click on any link, you would probably advise me to use antivirus software and stay away from malicious websites, right?
But the extremely annoying application I just mentioned is not a virus or any kind of malware. It is, in fact, Microsoft’s new Edge Chromium browser. This software company is forcing users to install Edge whether they want to or not through Windows 10’s automatic updates.
The reality is that when I just restarted my computer, an application I never wanted to use suddenly launched. This application tries to convince me to abandon Chrome, my true love, without giving me an option to decline or say no.
It even pins itself to my desktop and taskbar without asking for my permission. It questions me whether I am sure I want to use Chrome instead of Microsoft’s recommendation the next time I open a webpage, even though I had clearly set Chrome as my default browser.
The Edge browser appears with no way to disable it, forcing users to follow the installation steps.
Then I thought, dear antitrust investigators who punished Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows, what do you think about this new action by Microsoft?
And can we uninstall Edge from our computers? Every time Windows 10 updates, Edge gets installed automatically without any permission? It’s like a never-ending nightmare.
Waking up and realizing they decided to install Edge on my computer without consent and pinned it to the taskbar.
Then I realized that our beloved software giant is employing tactics similar to those of adware, spyware, malware, or ransomware. These kinds of junk often install themselves on users’ computers without permission.
It goes even further, as even computers running Windows 7 and Windows 8 are being forced by Microsoft to install the Edge browser. So it’s no surprise that users are extremely angry about this action from Microsoft.
If Windows 7 is no longer supported, why did my work computer automatically install Microsoft Edge last night?
Microsoft once said that Windows 10’s automatic updates are necessary to enhance security and patch dangerous vulnerabilities. But Microsoft shot itself in the foot, as these updates now include software marketing features.
Users have to set their default browser once again.
Justifying this action, Microsoft stated that the new Edge browser will completely replace the old Edge that was pre-installed with Windows 10. Microsoft wants you to use the best, safest browser. But the result only makes users feel annoyed, wasting time to confirm their chosen default browser and uninstalling Edge from their computers as they never use it.
My computer was restarted to install Edge, losing all the results of an hour of drawing. Thanks, Microsoft. No one will use this junk as a browser, no matter how much you force users.
While it is commendable that Microsoft is using the Chromium engine to develop a completely new Edge version, this approach to users is truly a disaster and counterproductive. It only makes users hate Edge more, and there is no convincing reason to use this browser at all.
Source: Theverge