Microsoft has recently started showing an anti-Firefox ad right in the Windows 10 Start menu in an attempt to convince more users to try out its new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser.
But as it turns out, the company has also turned to a second ad that shows up in the search screen, again with the goal of making everyone aware that its new browser is available for download.
As discovered on reddit, if you launch the search UI in Windows 10 to look for Internet Explorer, the OS displays an ad for the new Microsoft Edge.
“The new Microsoft Edge is here. Same name, brand new browser,” the banner reads. A download button is also included, which presumably points users to the download link for the stable version of Chromium Microsoft Edge.
It’s not known at this point if a similar ad shows up when searching for other browsers like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Also, the banner doesn’t show up on my Windows 10 device, no matter if I search for Internet Explorer or a different browser.
Internet Explorer in Windows 10
While displaying a banner for Microsoft Edge in search UI is likely to cause more criticism against the company, Microsoft itself recommended against using Internet Explorer as a daily browser.
IE continues to be offered in Windows 10 only for compatibility reasons, as companies have previously developed apps and services specifically optimized for this browser.
The new Microsoft Edge running on Chromium, however, is offered as the new default in Windows 10. The browser can be installed from Windows Update, replacing the current version of Edge – nevertheless, the legacy browser continues to be available as well, once again for compatibility purposes, albeit there’s a good chance it would be pulled completely at some point in the future.
https://news.softpedia.com/news/microsoft-hijacks-the-windows-10-search-to-display-microsoft-edge-ad-529152.shtml