Talk:Microsoft Edge/Archive 2

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Chromium update

Hi folks, imho it would make sense to move either the new or the old Edge to a separate page. They are technically two absolutely different browsers with the same name. Edge (Chromium) doesn't have one line of code in common with Microsoft Edge. So it's not really the same thing in my opinion. What do you think? Reditec (talk) 22:35, 19 January 2020 (UTC)

I agree that the new Chromium-based Edge is so different from the EdgeHTML one that it's closer to Chromium than to previous Edge or IE. It would make sense to describe them in two separate articles once there is enough content about Chromium Edge. Specifically, they probably should stay on this page until there is enough content about Chromium one and then it should be moved to "Edge (Chromium-based)" or something similar.

Anton.bersh (talk) 09:38, 21 January 2020 (UTC)

I think User:Anton.bersh is correct, we should keep it here until there is more material and then revisit it, as a split article now would be very short. Also keep in mind that other browsers that have gone through similar changes, such as Opera (web browser) and GNOME Web have not been split. - Ahunt (talk) 12:55, 21 January 2020 (UTC)

In my opinion, the Edge browser looks totally different than before and was totally re-written. So it's more like a new product, than a new major version of Edge. Also the development teams differ and the versioning is different. Reditec (talk) 01:04, 27 January 2020 (UTC)

I don't see a need for a separate article, because at the moment there isn't enough content and the difference is already clearly laid out - the infobox has "EdgeHTML (2014-2019)" and then "Blink (2019-present)", the intro text says that in 2019 it was rebuilt as a Chromium-based browser, and then in the content, you have "EdgeHTML (2014-2019)" and then "Chromium (2019-present)". Also, will there be much to expand on the EdgeHTML version? Steven (Editor) (talk) 00:15, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

These 2 should never be split. First of all, I'm not sure where that is coming from but the team that worked on Spartan and Anaheim are the same teams (with the obvious rotation of developers over the years). Second, because the underlying code changes does not make it a different product. Edge and Edge are the same products: a browser named Edge from Microsoft.

I feel like the people who are editing this article are a little bit to happy to use "Chromium" in every sentence as much as possible. The article on Opera, which has been a Chromium browser for years now, uses the word "Chromium" exactly 4 times in the article. Edge, which has been a Chromium browser for less then a month mentions the word 17 times in the main article (which is down from 25 last week since I removed a bunch of them, and I intend to do more). --YannickFran (talk) 18:26, 10 February 2020 (UTC)

Privacy section

Is there any problem adding the following to the privacy section? Microsoft Edge sends the hardware identifier to Microsoft servers making it easy to identify the user. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.48.184.27 (talk) 21:36, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

One researcher’s result is not sufficient for this to be WP:DUE weight. The statement you want to add isn’t even true for public internet kiosks (like in a library or school where only one Windows user account is used).—Jasper Deng (talk) 22:31, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

How do you propose to fix it? So we can keep this fact? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.174.3.177 (talk) 22:49, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

It doesn't need to be added at all. The article already has "According to Douglas J Leith, a computer science professor from the Trinity College of Dublin, Ireland, Microsoft Edge is the least private browser. In response, a spokesperson from Microsoft Edge explained that it uses user diagnostic data to improve the product." which is much more neutral than what you propose.--Jasper Deng (talk) 23:17, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

References

Windows Vista, XP, ...

I would be interested to know whether the new Microsoft Edge browser can be run on any other operating systems. Even though it is designed to run on Windows from version 7 and up, can it nevertheless run on Windows Vista, XP, ...? And if not, I would be interested to know why not. (Technical reasons? Marketing decision?) —DIV (1.129.106.156 (talk) 01:21, 5 April 2020 (UTC))

Sounds like this is a question to be asked at Wikipedia:Reference Desk.Herbfur (talk) 21:32, 27 June 2020 (UTC)

Whether or not to keep the Chromium and EdgeHTML version tables separate

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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There has recently been debate over whether or not the EdgeHTML and Chromium version tables should be separate or kept together. My opinion is that the tables should be kept separate. This is because Chromium Edge is almost completely different from Legacy Edge, and has a completely different development history and cycle. The Firefox version history article is split between numerous major release cycles and versions, and the early versions 1-4 even have their own article. The History of the Opera web browser article also splits the article between major revisions. In summary, merging the history of what's essentially two separate products doesn't make sense to me. It's also inconvenient, as some people may be searching for information on only one of the Edge browsers, but now they're forced to look through the entire article. It just makes more sense to separate the version history tables to me.Herbfur (talk) 15:26, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

I agree, it makes sense to keep them separate. Even the version numbering points to this as a the solution. - Ahunt (talk) 16:02, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Let's first make something clear: when there isn't a consensus, you first have to reach one before you change the page. Not first change and then force a concensus. The page remains as it was until this discussion is finished. Second, the way software is developed is rarely a reason to split a version table, it doesn't impact the user and even in this case it isn't more than a speed up and decoupling of Edge's development from Windows. The later being a perfect example; it's version table doesn't differentiate between NT and non-NT, nor does it care for the fact that Windows regularly went through different development methods; because it doesn't matter.

You can't compare this to Firefox's and Opera's history either (never mind that Opera doesn't even have a version table, so this is a terrible argument). These 2 browsers have a history of over a decade and major updates to these browsers, at the time, were major "events" in these browsers history where the user experience often drastically changed which is why the various early version of Firefox have their own article, just like Internet Explorer. Updates to browsers have become *much* less notable, which is why they don't get their own page anymore (or why nobody bothers with it), and that even includes Anaheim. We don't differentiate between Blink and WebKit on Chrome's version history either. Major changes in a development cycle isn't an argument. Not to mention that, unlike Edge's version table, Firefox also shows minor updates and patches which is also why it has been split up. Edge's version table is much closer to that of Chrome, which - again - is just a single table, all be it on its own page.

This is also repeating an argument made earlier as to if Edge and Edge should have their own page. The conclusion was that there was no need for it because there was no notable reason for it: it's the same product. And that's what this article is about. A product, not a version of that product. The table is supposed to represent the evolution of Edge, not of it's underlying foundations that are largly irrelevant to the article to start with.--YannickFran (talk) 08:29, 31 July 2020 (UTC)

I see you did it again without a consensus. Repeating the same argument over and over again without any proof of it isn't going to help. Regardless, let me split it up and make some clear cases for all of them.

* The new and old edge browsers are completely separate products: the simple fact that you have to refer to them as "the new" and "the old" already makes clear that they aren't "completely separate products".

* not a "major rewrite" of the software: then what is it? Just an update to the software? If it isn't a major rewrite than it absolutely doesn't have to have its own table. When software gets a "major rewrite" it's often started from scratch and hardly any project starts from an entirely empty codebase, especially not browsers. Within the context of Edge, this is "just" a "major rewrite".

* They have a different development history: well of course, they are 2 different versions of a product. Internet Explorer 10 and Internet Explorer 11 have different development histories as well. But that isn't the point now, is it? This is a table giving an overview of that development history. Them being different is the point.

* both versions are continuously being developed right now: no, Edge Anaheim is being developed, Edge Spartan is being maintained, and only for another year. The browser's version number is coupled to the OS's, but in reality there is no difference between Edge 44.17763 and Edge 44.19041 and whatever other updates will follow within the next year (which is why their changelog spans all 4 releases). You're misrepresenting Edge's situation here.

* Users can clearly notice the difference between the two: users can - if they try - see the difference between *every* version of Edge. Between every version of any product even. But again, you're pointing out that these 2 versions are different and thus deserve their table showing that progress to be split, but again, that's just a pointless argument. If they weren't different, we wouldn't need a table. IF this would be the argument, I guess we're gonna need to split up the version table on Microsoft Windows between every single version of Windows, which, of course, would be nonsense. "Noticing a difference" is an incredibly subjective way of splitting up anything, because where do you draw the line? People probably noticed when Edge 80 suddenly turned their Edge UI dark after Edge 79's white default UI. So should Edge 79 have its own table, followed by a table for Edge 80?

* As for consensus? Actually, the editor who merged the version tables was acting against consensus. The version of the page prior to the dispute had the tables split.: this is the original edit that is under dispute here, I could be blind, but the edit before it clearly shows a singular table.

Regardless, the points of my previous comment here still stand, too. Bringing Opera's history page into the fold especially seems like a bad-faith-argument given that there isn't a version table on that page at all (and Firefox's is an entire different beast too). You know which browser *does* have a version page that only marks up the major versions? Google Chrome version history, and we list them all in one big table. Even at the moment that they switched render engine. Even at the moments they revamped their entire UI. But again, I mentioned this already and you don't even bother with it. Please discuss this first properly.--84.194.198.206 (talk) 18:27, 17 August 2020 (UTC)

OK, first off, WP:GF, you are violating that policy by declaring my comments to be in bad faith.

• Microsoft literally markets the new edge to be a separate browser than the old edge. Its support documentation treats the legacy edge and chromium edge separately. The argument that because a new and an old moniker is used implies that it is the same product is false. The fact that the Russian Empire (1721-1917), Russian Republic (1917), Russian SFSR (1917-1991), and Russian Federation (1991-present) share the name "Russia" doesn't make them the same country. Although they occupy roughly the same geographic region, they are completely separate incarnations of Russian governments througout history, which have received their own articles.
• This is more than just a major rewrite. It's a new product entirely. While it has the same name, Microsoft is marketing it as a new browser, not just a major update to the old browser. When you go to download page for the browser, it says that it is the NEW MICROSOFT EDGE. Not just the improved edge, but a new Microsoft Edge. Like I've said earlier, Microsoft even maintains separate documentation for the legacy edge and new edge. The way it's rolled out and developed also indicates that it's a completely separate browser. Users who want the new edge need to download it themselves, it isn't updated over the legacy edge. When the new edge is installed, it HIDES the old edge, but doesn't replace it. It's possible to have both the old edge and the new one running at the same time with registry settings. This wasn't the way Opera handled its transition to Chromium. It was simply treated as a new version of Opera, not a new browser. But the way Microsoft handles and markets the browser makes it clear that they treat the legacy and chromium edges as separate browsers. The version number even jumps from 44 to 79, clearly indicating that this is a separate browser.
• Maintaining the old browser means that patches and updates are still being developed for it. It's the same as with Windows 10 v1903 and v2004. While version 1903 is only getting security patches, it is still being updated and if you go over to Windows 10 version history, you'll see that it has a separate table. Because it's a separate version of Windows 10. Just like the new edge is separate from the old edge. The section in question on this article even has separate sections for the two different edges and their development histories. It makes no sense to treat the sections separately but then merge the version history.
• You were the one who brought up the whole "Notice a difference" argument by saying that there isn't an impact on the user. I personally don't think it's significant whether or not a noticeable difference exists on the user side. Windows 98 looks a lot like Windows 95, but they are treated separately because they're different products, just like the two edges. Whether or not two entities are separate is not to be judged by how they are used.
• You said there was a consensus not to split the article, but the consensus in that decision was to wait until there was more information on the new edge. Not that they were the same, that was your opinion. The majority of the editors in the discussion back then said that we shouldn't split only because the article on the new edge would be a stub.
• As for development history, I mean a consistent series of releases relating to a project, it has nothing to do with an individual release. That's frankly an irrelevant argument.
• You also talked about updates being less notable, but this is an exception to the rule. This isn't just an update anymore, it's a completely separate browser. As established through earlier discussions and the policies of Microsoft, this is something most people agree on.

The chromium edge and the legacy edge are not the same browser. This is something most people agree on and something Microsoft has made pretty clear. The tables need to be separate, and one day, this article should be split. Herbfur (talk) 17:38, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

I must note the table has a "Browser engine" row which changes from EdgeHTML to Blink, but I agree the tables should be separate. As for splitting the article one day, I disagree — better to keep it together, the Legacy Edge is effectively gone, users are being updated to the Chromium one via Windows Update, new versions of Windows 10 will have the Chromium one preinstalled, and the recently announced end of support in 2021. The lead summarises the change and I don't think there will be much content to add for Legacy Edge. Steven (Editor) (talk) 01:12, 22 August 2020 (UTC)

How in the world I participate in this talk? Was it like this? Limyx826 (talk) 08:04, 27 August 2020 (UTC)

Just for clarification, I spilt the version table is for visual purpose as it will make more sense when EdgeHTML and Chromium version is separated. Limyx826 (talk) 08:12, 27 August 2020 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.