Microsoft is “experimenting” with a new feature - called start-up boost - that could increase the speed with which its web browser Edge is able to launch from the Windows 10 desktop or taskbar.
The speed gain will be achieved by activating select Microsoft Edge processes when a Windows 10 machine is powered on. With these processes already running in the background, using up minimal computing resources, Edge will exist in a state of readiness that should improve launch times.
The start-up boost feature is already available as an option in Edge version 88, which was recently released to the Dev Channel but is not expected to launch as a stable build until mid-January.
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Early users can activate the feature via Edge settings and administrators can also put in place a blanket policy for all devices running the appropriate browser version.
Microsoft Edge for Windows 10
With the latest Windows 10 update, Microsoft’s Edge browser has become much more tightly integrated with the operating system. This means the browser is now impossible to uninstall via traditional methods, which could be a frustration for some users, but also paves the way for improvements like start-up boost.
According to a Microsoft Q&A, start-up boost will be available to all Windows 10 users, but the firm could withdraw the feature from certain devices “that do not see expected positive impact”.
The firm also warned it is “in the process of experimenting with the feature, so it may be a little while before you see it in your respective channel and build.”
In recent months, Microsoft has not been shy about its ambitions for Edge, which is now indisputably the company’s flagship browser.
As of this week, for example, users of now defunct Internet Explorer will be redirected automatically to Edge when they visit certain websites. A recent Windows 10 update also saw the new browser force-installed onto users’ devices.
The company has also delivered a host of new upgrades to the browser of late, including a secure password generator, in-built price comparison tool, screenshot capture facility and scrolling tab bar.
Microsoft Edge still has a meagre share of the overall market (2.16%) when compared with leading browser Google Chrome (66.34%), but its userbase has more than doubled since June and Microsoft will hope recent improvements will help claw back users lost with the decline of Internet Explorer.
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Via ZDNet
