Microsoft has engaged in a frantic last-minute efforts to get Windows 10 users to use its browser, Edge which according to Net Applications statistics hit a record low in browser usage share for July, 2018.
The company is attempting to frighten people into using Edge, with a warning dialog box that pops up on the installation prompt for other web browsers, which reads thus: "You already have Microsoft Edge - the safer, faster browser for Windows 10" - though for now, it's only on the test version of Windows 10 developer version.
While Microsoft's earlier ploy of automatically resetting users browser preference to Edge on upgrade and the later move to make the built-in Edge browser the default for opening of links within the Windows Mail app in the Fall update hasn't seen much success.
Microsoft Edge browser usage has steadily gone down, and perhaps, many users haven’t really hit the “make default” button on Windows 10 to Edge, and perhaps still keeping in their old comfort zone with Chrome or Firefox.
This latest move of employing a dialog box to dissuade Windows users from installing other browsers, currently tied to Windows 10 version 1809, build 17758.1, is seen as a more intrusive phase in the company's attempt to get people to use Edge browser.
Microsoft, however maintains that the Windows Insider Program in which the gaffe was spotted is where it run tests for different features, functionality and garner feedback before rolling out broadly to all users, and there's no guarantee that such tests will see the light of day.
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