Microsoft’s Edge browser shift has major implications for software and devices

“Sometimes it’s the news behind the news that’s really important. Such is the case with the recent announcement from Microsoft that they plan to start using the open source software-based Chromium project as a basis for future versions of their Edge browser,” Bob O’Donnell writes for Tech.pinions. “The long-term implications of the move could lead to some profoundly important changes to the kinds of software we use, the types of devices we buy, the chips that power them, and much more.”
“By moving the massive base of Windows users (as well as Edge browser users on the Mac, Android, and iOS, because Microsoft announced their intentions to build Chromium-powered browsers for all those platforms as well), the company has single-handedly shifted the balance of web and browser-based standards towards Chromium,” O’Donnell writes. “This means that application developers can now concentrate more of their efforts on this standard and ensure that a wider range of applications will be available — and work in a consistent fashion — across multiple devices and platforms.”
“At the same time, because Apple doesn’t currently support Chromium and is still focused on keeping its developers (and end users) more tightly tied into its proprietary OS, Microsoft is essentially further isolating Apple from key web software standards,” O’Donnell writes. “In an olive branch move to Apple users, however, Microsoft has said that they will bring the Chromium-powered version of Edge to MacOS and likely iOS, essentially giving Apple users access to this new world of software, but via a Microsoft connection.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple has 1.5+ billion users and counting, the vast majority of whom use Safari which is based on the WebKit engine. Apple is certainly not “isolated.” No developer worth his salt will ignore Apple product users.