Edge using Chromium might force me to switch to a Macbook

I have a Surface Laptop and I love it. Most of what I do is in the browser and since I got this Surface Laptop, I don’t even use a mouse anymore because the touchpad scrolling is just amazing. In Edge, it’s so fast and responsive but still super smooth, it’s just like a Macbook trackpad. I’m very concerned about Edge switching to Chromium because even though Chrome added support for precision touchpads this year, it’s still not in the same league as Edge. When the update comes out in 2019, if touchpad scrolling is just like Chrome, I’m going to have to move to a MacBook because I just can’t accept that much of a downgrade. Please don’t think it’s just me, ask any Macbook user to try Chrome for Windows trackpad scrolling and they will laugh at you. I hope Microsoft can avoid this somehow because I love the Surface Laptop, I think it’s probably the best laptop in the market

Conversation 21 comments

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    05 December, 2018 - 6:55 pm

    <p>Try Firefox before you go to that extreme. I can scroll just fine with my Surface Book and Surface Studio.</p>

    • Daekar

      05 December, 2018 - 9:44 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#378599">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>I use trackpad two-finger scrolling on my 5 year old laptop in FIrefox and it performs just fine, I never notice a difference between that and Edge. Definitely give it a try.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      06 December, 2018 - 12:19 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#378599">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>I use Firefox as well and I have no problems with scrolling either – either Trackpad or an MX Mouse.</p>

  • SherlockHolmes

    Premium Member
    05 December, 2018 - 9:40 pm

    <p>I think guys like you are simply trying to find an excuse for Edge and how good it is. Its the same mothod as some wanted to convince others to use UWP apps. That didnt work either. </p>

  • Bats

    05 December, 2018 - 9:47 pm

    <p>LOL….you clearly are not going Mac. This is obviously a very empty threat.</p>

    • willr

      05 December, 2018 - 10:46 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#378630">In reply to Bats:</a></em></blockquote><p>Do you have a Surface? Try trackpack scrolling in Edge, then try it in Chrome. In Chrome it's so stuttery and janky, I just can't accept that downgrade. I hope Microsoft can somehow keep Edge's scrolling with Blink?</p>

      • BigM72

        06 December, 2018 - 4:57 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#378644">In reply to willr:</a></em></blockquote><p>You honestly get used to one or the other or Chrome has improved. I used to much prefer that in Edge but I now find it just fine in Chrome.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    06 December, 2018 - 12:18 am

    <p>Chromium rendering engine (Blink) != Chrome. They are two very different things.</p><p>And Apple uses the forerunner of Blink, so no great changes, but not as fast, allegedly.</p><p>Microsoft will probably still be using their own frontend, which is what has the trackpad support, they most probably won't be using the Chrome frontend.</p><p>But either way, wait until Microsoft actually announces what they are doing.</p>

  • Tony Barrett

    06 December, 2018 - 2:34 am

    <p>Why do people throw around idle threats like this? Nobody cares. Your're prepared to spend a small fortune changing machines and OS's because of a rumour of a change of rendering engine in a browser barely anyone uses, because it *might* affect the smooth scrolling you like. This is a weightless argument. Spend your money if you want. Pointless.</p>

    • FalseAgent

      06 December, 2018 - 7:07 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#378692">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>You said it. Thank you</p>

  • Paul Thurrott

    Premium Member
    06 December, 2018 - 7:53 am

    <p>Start shopping then. It's happening.</p><p><br></p><p>Also, this is a crazy thing to worry about.</p>

    • willr

      06 December, 2018 - 1:16 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#378717">In reply to paul-thurrott:</a></em></blockquote><p>Paul, you have a MacBook. Open Safari on the Mac and Chrome on a Surface laptop and go to the same website. Compare the touchpad scrolling between them. The difference is crazy! What I really wish is for Microsoft to put a lot of attention to Chromium's touchpad scrolling so it's just as good as current Edge. I don't want to switch to a MacBook but gosh…</p>

      • caryp

        06 December, 2018 - 4:56 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#378897">In reply to willr:</a></em></blockquote><p>This must be specific to Chrome on Windows then. I use Chrome on macOS and the trackpad scrolling is smooth. Gestures work too.</p>

  • madthinus

    Premium Member
    06 December, 2018 - 8:03 am

    <p>Firefox is great at smooth scrolling. By the way, the scrolling has little to do with the page parsing, but rather than the renderer using to draw the page on screen. Conceivable, Microsoft can still use the Edge rendering engine (The portion that draw to the screen) and simply swop out the parser and layout engines. </p><p><br></p><p>If this is such a deal breaker, try Firefox or Opera, both have great scrolling. </p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    06 December, 2018 - 9:58 am

    <p>Macofalltrades.com has real MacBook Pros for sale. The thick older ones with keyboards that don’t suck. Save some money and some headaches by not getting one of those turdburglar new ones. </p><p><br></p><p>Or or you could just run Firefox. Just sayin’!</p>

  • dcdevito

    06 December, 2018 - 11:50 am

    <p>There's always Linux :)</p>

  • lordbaal1

    06 December, 2018 - 12:27 pm

    <p>Edge is not changing or going away. Only the rendering engine is changing, so it should have no effect on the mouse.</p>

  • lordbaal1

    06 December, 2018 - 12:29 pm

    <p>Yeah you're leaving. Just like people were saying they were leaving to go and live in Canada?</p>

  • ggolcher

    Premium Member
    06 December, 2018 - 12:52 pm

    <p>Don't worry, it seems you'll be able to use Edge on Mac as well, so it's all good ;)</p>

  • Winner

    06 December, 2018 - 5:13 pm

    <p>What makes you think Microsoft would not optimize that?</p>

  • cuppettcj

    07 December, 2018 - 1:57 pm

    <p>Windows Central addressed this issue in a recent article. I'd post the link but the forum won't let me. Money quote:</p><p><br></p><p><em>Microsoft is going to start partaking much more in the development of Chromium, as Chromium is an open-source project. Up until now, Google has been the only major player contributing code to the Chromium project, but now Microsoft is in the game and is ready to commit code to improve Chromium. For example, Microsoft knows that Chrome isn't as good as the current Edge at touch scrolling, so it's going to work on improving that experience in Chromium so that the new Edge doesn't miss out on that smooth scrolling experience.</em></p>

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