I've been using the brand new Microsoft Edge aka Internet Explorer, for more than a month now and I'm sold.

I've decided to transition over to Microsoft's notorious web browser. Before you call me a joke, hear me out.

I know the cons of using the browser. But ever since Microsoft announced they will build the new Microsoft Edge using Google's Chromium - the same open-source code that Google Chrome is built upon - I've been keeping tabs on it.

IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

The new Edge finally came out of beta on January 15, 2020. As soon as it was released, I decided to try it out. But I didn't do it half-heartedly.

I went all out, using it on both my phone and personal computer. In fact, I'm typing this review on the browser as we speak.

So how was the experience like?

It feels like Chrome but with a little more freedom.

As soon as I launched it for the first time, the browser greeted me with a 'Welcome Back' screen, a tongue-in-cheek reference to me returning back following the upgrade. I was offered three options for the homepage layout: Focused, Inspirational, and Informational.

Focused Mode. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

The Focused layout showed me my most visited sites and the search bar, which I can change to Google as my default.

Inspirational Mode. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

Inspirational basically adds a background image to the homepage and retains the search and most visited tabs.

Informational Mode. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

Informational, which is my preferred choice, combines the previous two with the addition of a news feed that gave me the latest news around the world.

Everything else feels and breathes like Chrome. The new tab button, bookmarks, the options menu all look very identical to Chrome. The only difference you might feel is the larger back, forward, and refresh buttons.

It does add to the size of the address bar area, but it's very useful if you have a smaller screen.

The options menu is quite similar if not identical to Chrome's but with the addition of extra features which are unique to Edge. I'll get to that in the next part.

'Other sources' being the Chrome Web Store. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

The biggest advantage Edge has over Chrome? Chrome only allows you to download extensions from its Chrome Web Store. But Edge gives you access to extensions in the Windows Store as well as the Chrome Web Store.

In my opinion, the number of download options are better even if the Windows Store is not as great as the Chrome Web Store.

Features that Chrome should take note.

I've been using Chrome ever since I first got my computer back in 2008. But I always felt that Chrome could have done more in terms of transparency and uniqueness.

Microsoft had always adopted a security-first approach, and that's no different on Edge.

Chrome decide that the Privacy and Security settings should be under Advance. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

If you enter Chrome's privacy menu, you'll see a very basic wall of text options to hide from the horrors of the internet.

Clear and precise on how it protects you. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

But on Edge, the browser gave me the option of how I would like to manage my privacy. It even gave me a break down on what will happen and how websites tracked me depending on my privacy settings.

Another factor that I found fascinating is the Apps feature. This allowed me to download a website as a program on my computer complete with a shortcut on my desktop.

You too can have your very own Mashable Southeast Asia app with Microsoft Edge! IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

To put it simply: It created a dedicated browser that runs only the website that I chose to install. It removed all the additional functions like the address bar, bookmarks, and tabs to give me better immersion.

This feature does exist on Chrome, but Google's browser makes it more complicated by making a shortcut of the page on my desktop and launches it in Chrome.

I could open the website in a separate Window like Edge, but I find it has too many unnecessary steps.

It might not be a feature that everyone will use, but if you're using a web app for your work, this could be a very nice feature that takes up fewer resources from your computer.

Left: Normal mode. Right: Immersive mode. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

Finally, the Immersive Reader mode. I know that some websites block your adblocker extension because... well we all gotta eat. So this feature makes it easier by taking just the text and images of an article and removes any other distractions.

IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

I can even activate the read-out-loud function. But the most unique part of this feature: I can pick the speaker's voice, making it easier to understand what's it saying in my own native accent.

Edge performs slightly better if not on par with Chrome.

Chrome was known for eating up your RAM. IMAGE: Wired

Its past incarnation, the Microsoft Explorer, was notorious for being slow and had issues with website elements. It was downright a pain in the ass.

I loaded up YouTube as the first website, expecting to wait a good while before everything loaded up. But lo and behold, everything loaded up in a snap!

I was really taken aback with the speed. When I opened up YouTube on Chrome I realized that it loaded the same time as Edge. This should come to no surprise as they're technically the same browser with a different skin.

But the fact I'm getting these speeds on a Microsoft browser is surprising.

Chrome on the left, Edge on the right. Yes, I need a RAM upgrade. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

Web browsers have been known to consume a lot of memory (RAM) from our computers. So I decided to do a comparison between Chrome and Edge - mainly because they run on the same platform.

I launched up five websites that I use the most: YouTube, Netflix, Reddit, Facebook, and Gmail, on both Chrome and Edge.

Edge surprised me again because it took less RAM than Chrome. Keep in mind, I'm logged into these websites and have the same extensions installed. Yes, it might not be a huge difference but if you're starved for RAM, Edge might be a better choice.

But of course, this might differ from one computer to another.

The phone app needs some work done.

New tab page on Edge mobile. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

While the browser shows amazing promise, the phone app will not get a lot of praise from me.

The design and layout are very clean and I love that there's a forward and back button - trust me once you get back to using it, you're going to feel like a fool thinking you never needed it. You'll also have quick access to many frequently used settings.

The overall performance needs some improvement. I am using the app on my OnePlus 7 Pro, which I am certain has more than enough power to run the app. But yet, I occasionally experience lags when scrolling on websites like Reddit and even Google search.

Settings page. IMAGE: Tarvin Gill / Mashable Southeast Asia

It's slightly annoying if compared to the smooth browser experience. There were also some instances where the app would hang and I needed to go back to the phone's home screen and back to the app again to fix it.

While these issues do pop-up periodically, I'm still giving Microsoft the benefit of the doubt. I'll still be using the app for awhile more just to get the full Microsoft Edge experience.

Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, call it what you want, has finally risen from the dumpster fire it was in the last decade.

But will it be the most used browser in the world?

If you're still hesitant to take the jump, I would recommend that you give the desktop browser a try. It can easily sync with your Chrome and bring over all your passwords and bookmarks.

Once you've experienced the browser for at least a week, you can decide for yourself if you want the mobile app or not.

Currently, my experience with Microsoft Edge has been a welcoming one. I'm very impressed with what it offers and I do plan to stay with the browser and see how it develops in the future.

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Cover image sourced from Cnet.