Since Microsoft announced that it was working on a new version of its Edge browser, for Windows 10 and based on Chromium (same engine available in Google Chrome), many users were willing to give it a new try to the native Windows 10 browser, an opportunity that they have taken full advantage of and has already allowed them to regain market share.
Before the release of the final version of Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, Edge's market share was 3%. Two months after its launch, it is already at 5%, although it is still a long way from Chrome's dominance, with a 67% market share. The new Edge not only is it faster and consumes much less resources compared to the previous version, but also, it is compatible with each and every one of the Chrome extensions.
If you regularly use Chrome thanks to the infinite possibilities offered by its extensions, you can change from one browser to another without any problem. Being integrated into Windows 10, it makes the operation optimal, much better than that offered by Chrome, a browser that has always been accused (and rightly so) of being a devourer of resources in any operating system (although in macOS is a bit of a stretch).
Windows 10 is not only focused on desktop computers, but it is also compatible with touchscreen computers, such as Microsoft's Surface range, a range that offers the versatility of having a desktop operating system on a tablet, tablet that quickly becomes a computer when we need to add a keyboard.
Most users spend long hours in the browser, a browser with which we not only have access to images, videos, information of any kind ... but also has become a tool to work in many companies leaving aside the own applications that were used in the past.
Open and edit files in PDF format
PDF files are the most used format today for sharing documents, public or private, thanks to the different features that this format offers us. It seems that Microsoft is the only manufacturer that has realized that they practically go hand in hand and since the first version of Edge, it added the ability to open and work with documents in this format. In fact, if you don't have an application that supports files in PDF format, Microsoft Edge will be in charge of opening them. What can we do with Microsoft Edge and PDF files?
Fill in PDF forms
In the market we can find a large number of applications that allow us to work in PDF format, most of which are paid, although our needs are minimal, such as being able to fill in a simple official document to be able to print it later or share it.
With Microsoft Edge we can fill in any type of public or private document that is previously formatted to show the fields that we have to fill in (all public have them), which allows us to fill in documents in send them telematically without having to scan, print and send them by post or physically present them.
Highlight / underline text and annotate
When studying or carefully reading a document in this format, it is most likely that we are interested in highlighting what are the most important parts of it, either highlighting a part of the text or making annotations by hand. The new Edge, like the previous one, also allows us to perform both functions, although to make annotations, we must have a very good pulse with the mouse or use a stylus directly on the touch screen of the device if it has it.
Highlight text it is as simple as previously selecting the text we want to highlight, right-clicking and within the Highlight menu, selecting the text we want to use. Edge offers us four different colors: yellow, blue, green and red, colors that we can use interchangeably to associate the paragraphs with different topics in the document.
Read text
Another interesting feature that Edge offers us is the possibility of read text aloud through the wizard that we have on our computer, which allows us to do other things while listening to the document instead of reading it. To take advantage of this function, we just have to select the text, press the right mouse button and select Voice.
Rotate the document
Surely on more than one occasion you have received a document in PDF format that not well oriented, which forces us to rotate the document with a third-party application to be able to read it properly if we do not want to rotate the monitor or the head. Thanks to Edge, this function is also available, a function that allows us to turn clockwise or counterclockwise.
Save all modifications
Once we have made all the changes that Edge offers us in documents in PDF format, we can save changes to it, either in the same document in a copy of it. The changes will be stored in the file and will be available to everyone who opens the document, regardless of the application they use.
What we cannot do with Microsoft Edge in PDF files
For now, let's hope that in future versions it will be implemented, it is the possibility of sign documents adding a signature that we previously have stored on our computer, a function that is becoming more and more common, especially in the business field when signing employment contracts or any type of document.
How to download Microsoft Edge Chromium
If you haven't yet given the new Chromium version of Edge a chance, you're already taking time. If you have Windows 10 updated to the latest version, most likely you already have it installed on your computer and you have noticed a substantial improvement in its operation. If this is not the case, you can go directly to the Microsoft website and download this new version based on Chromium, version available for both Windows and macOS.
Microsoft Edge Chromium is not only compatible with Windows 10 and macOS, but also, also works on Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. There is also a version for iOS and Android available and thanks to the synchronization of bookmarks and history, we can have access to the same data that we have stored on the computer.