Google Chrome Under Attack From Microsoft, Notifications And Everything

For anyone not convinced that the browser war is heating up, Microsoft is launching another attack at Google Chrome. This time, it is using a Windows 10 notification that informs users regarding how fast Chrome is draining their battery. The user is then advised to switch over to Edge, which the notification implies is more energy-efficient.

Microsoft has been showing a lot of aggression in pushing its products and services to customers recently, and the attempt to undercut Chrome is just the latest in its forward march. One of the first to notice and share the move by Microsoft was Rudy Huyn, a former developer of Windows Phone apps, Digital Trends notes.

Huyn Tweeted a screenshot of the notification by Windows 10, which warned users of Chrome’s battery cost. The notification indicated that switching to Microsoft Edge would reduce battery consumption by as much as 36 percent.

The tactic has earned the ire of many users, calling it underhanded. However, Google has also used similar tactics in promoting its own web browser. When visiting any site related to the search engine company, users get a prompt indicating that the page would work better when using Chrome.

Google essentially indicated that other browsers are slower in comparison to Chrome, which allowed it to become the biggest web browser in the world. The only difference between Google’s method and Microsoft’s is the manner of notifying customers.

Using the Windows 10 OS to directly tell users to switch over to Edge is a method that has never been tried before, The Verge reports. There’s no telling how users would react. The tactic could just as easily irritate and alienate users as convince them that Edge really is the better browser.

A spokesperson from Microsoft explained that the notifications are simply meant to enhance the browsing experience of users. Anyone who doesn’t want to keep getting the notification can just turn it off via notification settings.