Now that Microsoft Edge has moved to a Chromium base, the software giant has been pushing to make its browser the number one choice for Windows 10 users. That's not to say it's all bad blood between Microsoft and its biggest rival, Google Chrome; in fact, Microsoft is quickly becoming one of Chrome's biggest allies.
How Is Microsoft Helping Out Google Chrome?
WindowsLatest reported that Google Chrome might soon run better, all thanks to Microsoft. This is because Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge now share the same code base after the latter made the jump to Google's Chromium browser base.
Every time Microsoft makes an improvement to help Edge, it also ends up helping Chrome. For instance, Microsoft is working on fixing Chromium's jerky scrolling, which will help both Chrome and Edge in the long run.
To do this, Microsoft is implementing "Impulse" scrolling into the Chromium base. When Impulse is enabled, it changes the scroll speed to perform a rapid descent at first but then slows down due to friction.
The user feels as if the scroll is more responsive due to its quick initial speed. However, the slow down due to simulated friction stops the user from zipping past where they want to go.
Microsoft Edge already has its own version of this feature called EdgeHTML, but the feature should eventually roll out to Google Chrome in the future.
Google and Microsoft: the New Best Friends in Big Tech?
This is not the first time that the two big players in technology worked together. Previously, Microsoft became one of Android's biggest allies while it worked on the Surface Duo.
The Surface Duo was a big moment for Microsoft, as the company was experimenting with a two-screened mobile device for the first time. Microsoft opted to use Android as the Duo's operating system, so it had to work with and improve Google's offerings to help make the two-screened wonder.
Because both Chromium and Android have open-source bases, Microsoft can hop in and make code commits at any time. These updates then help out everyone using the same code base, meaning Microsoft becomes a powerful ally in helping Google's operating systems be the best they can be.
Sometimes, a Rival Is a Best Friend
Despite Microsoft going all-out in making Edge the best browser on the internet, that doesn't mean that it abhors Google and its powerful browser, Chrome. In fact, due to Microsoft Edge's Chromium base, the two companies are now closer than ever before.
Despite this, it'd be a bad idea if Google assumes that Edge will always live under Chrome's shadow. Microsoft Edge recently hit 600 million users, and it doesn't appear to be stopping anytime soon.