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Comment by josefresco | Hacker News Reader

I use Windows 10/11 daily. The number of times Edge was "forced on me": 0 The number of times Edge launched when I expected or wanted my default browser (Firefox): 0 The number of times my browser default was reset to Edge: 0

I just don't understand this outrage. I spend 90% of my time in Firefox/Chrome - I've only started using Edge lately to play with Bing "AI" Chat. I had to search for it!

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Maybe you don't but most people use the central search feature of Windows, which opens Edge and Bing on any web result. If you click on links in the most used email client (Outlook) and business chat app (Teams) Edge opens [1]. How can this not be an outrage?

[1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/topic/web-links-from-out...

I've tutored many clients (I provide services to small business owners) and haven't seen usage of the Windows search bar once (20 years exp). I understand the outrage about Outlook/Teams however I use neither and in fact see more prompts from Google to use Chrome than I do anything.

I had Edge forced on me a number of times and had to change a setting to prevent it from happening.

The most recent case in point, I updated my wife's Outlook to the latest version and it started opening all links in Edge. I had to Google it and found that Microsoft forced this change on everybody and I needed to tweak a setting.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/3/23709297/microsoft-edge-fo...

It's not forced if there's a setting to disable. "Reset my default" would be more accurate.

That is literally forcing edge on people.. it is ignoring their choice, and forcing them to use edge or change the desired browsers.

It is not forcing them to use it (mostly) but it is forcing edge on them in a dark pattern which needs to be called out.

Maybe not forced, but definitely hostile

Visual Studio uses Edge when you submit bugs. There's some kind of integration where Edge collects diagnostics.

The problem then comes when you get emailed back from Microsoft. Other browsers can't log in correctly to Visual Studio's bug discussion board.

Are people hallucinating? If so, why? Mere prejudice?

Tech bloggers looking for views find every single way (however improbable) that Edge will disrespect your choice. My experience as a "daily driver" shows these circumstances to be rare. Still waiting for the articles on iCloud.

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