A collection of new browser features is designed to make Edge more useful, less frustrating and maybe even a better alternative to Google Chrome.
The features are designed to improve password security, tab management, online research and even lowly copy and paste. They're also designed to make browsing better for people who are learning to read, struggling with cluttered websites or using the web with dyslexia or vision problems.
Microsoft has struggled for years with its browser ambitions. Its older Internet Explorer dominated the market two decades ago, but Microsoft let it languish for years with few improvements. Rivals like Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari and Google Chrome pushed IE aside and transformed the web into a constantly evolving technology foundation.
Microsoft tried a fresh start by stripping IE down into a new browser called Edge, but it still couldn't keep up. Now it has rebuilt Edge with Google's open-source Chromium project, the core software the Chrome browser uses.
Even though the new Edge is used only by those who take the trouble to download it themselves, Microsoft is encouraged. "Seekers looking for the new Edge beat our expectations and targets fivefold," said Liat Ben-Zur, Microsoft's Edge and Bing marketing leader.
Here's a look at the new features:
Microsoft also hopes you'll like a privacy feature that's not changing -- the ability to set Edge's tracker blocking to lightweight, moderate or serious.
Overhauling a browser is hard, but convincing millions of people to switch to it is arguably even harder. Chrome is the dominant browser, accounting for 64% of web usage today, according to analytics firm StatCounter.
For now, Microsoft is letting interested people download the new Edge on their own, but this spring, it will start distributing the browser to everyone through Windows Update. That's a powerful distribution advantage for the personal computer market, but it won't directly help spread Edge to smartphones, a crucial market.