I've been using Google Chrome for a long time.
I love the extensions and the look and feel of Chrome, but then I realized that all these
extensions now work on the new Microsoft Edge. Plus, Edge got a bunch of additional features that
I always wish Chrome had. Let's take a look at why Edge may actually be the
better choice for YouTube. When it comes to internet browsers, Google Chrome
dominates the market. According to StatCounter, Chrome currently has a share of about 67% while
Microsoft Edge is just around 8%. A major reason for this is the availability of extensions that you
can add to Chrome. All these third-party add-ons that let you customize the browser's behavior
and add all these extra features. It's a great benefit and even a necessity now for most of
us. Microsoft completely revamped Edge in 2020. Edge is now based on the same open source chromium
platform, just like Chrome or Opera, which means that all of these features and extensions that
you're used to from Chrome are now available in Edge too. But that's not all. Let's take a look at some
other important criteria that give Edge an edge. Number 1: Privacy. Let's face it Google Chrome
is not exactly known for securing user privacy. I mean Google's whole business model is to collect
data and use the information to tailor ads that you see and even the results that you get on
its services like Google search and YouTube. Microsoft has a different business model that's
not mainly focused on advertising. And with Edge, it's easier to configure the privacy level of
your browser. In your settings, under Privacy, Edge gives you three levels of tracking prevention.
In case you're wondering what trackers are, it's explained right here. They're used by
websites to collect info about your browsing. You can choose from these three levels: Basic,
Balanced and Strict. With Balanced, the default. The different options are explained here in
simple terms. With exceptions down here, you can set up individual exceptions for websites to
allow all trackers regardless of the chosen mode. Now, you can never really be sure what happens with
your data. But, I like the user-friendly approach in Edge which makes it easier for me to manage
my settings and keep me better protected online. Number 2: Features. Because Chrome and Edge
are now under the same framework, there isn't that much difference and most of the features
are similar. But there are a few that I really like in Edge. The first one is about multitasking. I
always use Alt-Tab to switch between applications, but this didn't work for tabs in the internet
browsers, unless you used another shortcut, Control-Tab, which is a bit of a pain. But in Edge, you can now
switch between tabs with Alt-Tab. You'll see your browser tabs right alongside your other apps
in the Task Switcher. So, these three are tabs i have open in Edge and these two are other apps.
There are also some settings to customize your experience. Click on Windows Start button, Settings.
Then, click on System and select Multitasking. With this setting right here, you can choose
whether to show all or to only show your last three or five browser tabs, so that you
don't overload this whole Task Switcher. With the last option, Open Windows Only, you can
turn off this feature, in case you can't get used to it. The other feature I really like are Vertical
Tabs because I often have a lot of tabs open in my browser. Traditionally, they are displayed
horizontally, which means they get narrower as you open more tabs, cutting off the page titles,
which makes finding a specific tab a bit difficult. But in Edge, you have the option to arrange them
vertically. This way the titles remain visible. To make this switch, you just tap the little square
icon on the far left side of the tab row. Now, you have a separate column with the tabs. If you want
to focus on a specific page content, you just have to collapse the pane. When you hover over it, it's
going to open back up. I usually just pin the pane to keep it always open. If you can't get used to
the vertical tabs, just click on the icon again to turn them off. In case you have an updated Edge
version but you still don't see the button, you may have to activate it in the settings first. To
do that click on the ellipsis on the right, select Settings and then, Appearance. Under Customize
Toolbar, make sure that the "Show vertical tabs" button option is activated. Another nice feature
that was introduced recently is "Sleeping Tabs". Edge is going to put inactive tabs to sleep after
a certain amount of time. According to Microsoft, this can improve your memory and CPU usage by
up to 30%. You'll recognize the sleepers when they become faded. To resume a sleeping tab, just click
on it. The tab will unfade and your content will be there immediately. You can customize the feature in
the Settings. Click on the ellipses, then Settings, and then System. You can turn it on with the "Save
resources with sleeping tabs" option over here. With the dropdown below, you can specify the
amount of time after which the tabs you go to sleep. And with the Add button here, you can
add sites you never want to put to sleep. Next feature is "Immersive Reader", which is something I
often use. Especially on pages that have a lot of advertising. It strips out all the visual noise,
so you can concentrate on the text. Let me show you. So, let's say I'm on this page which has a lot
of images and ads. To turn on Immersive Reader, just click on the Book icon up here with the speaker or
use the shortcut key, F9. This strips out the text and changes the background to a warmer color to
make it easier on the eyes. With Text Preferences, you can customize the experience like
change the text size or the background. Keep in mind not every website supports Immersive
Reader. If you don't see the button in the address bar, it's not available for the page. In addition,
you also have the option to use a voice engine to read the text aloud for you. Just click on
the button "Read Aloud". "Microsoft Surface Book 3 (15) review - Stranger Things or the new normal."
I tested it for pages in English and German and it works very well and sounds quite natural.
With voice options over here, you can customize the experience. That's it for features. Let's
take a look at performance. I performed a couple of tests to measure the loading speed
of websites which were, by no means, scientific. I couldn't see any major performance differences
between the two browsers. Some pages report a higher RAM usage of Chrome, in some cases, but I
couldn't confirm that in my own limited tests. With the recent updates, I think it's fair to say
that edge developed into an excellent browser. In terms of popularity, Chrome will probably still
remain the leader in the near future. But the additional features that come with Edge, convinced
me to switch over. What do you think? Is Edge a valid alternative to Chrome for you? Let me know
in the comments. Now, either way, I hope you enjoyed the comparison. Don't forget to give this video
a thumbs up, if you did and consider subscribing, if you haven't already done so. Many thanks for
watching and I'm going to see you in the next video.
