Thanks to the Rosetta 2 translation software, Apple’s M1-powered Macs can run x86 based software. Obviously having native software would be ideal, but at the same time, we suppose we’ll have to give developers more time to create native M1 apps. That being said, it seems that some are wasting no time in doing so.
Microsoft has announced that its Edge browser is currently in the beta channel. This particular version of Edge has been designed and optimized for the M1 platform (and ARM in general). Prior to this, Microsoft did announce that the app was available in the dev channel, so moving to the beta channel suggests that its release to the general public might not be too far off.
Starting today, you can download your Microsoft Edge Insider channel of choice with native macOS ARM64 support! Head to our Insider website to download Canary, Dev, or Beta to see how it runs, and let us know what you think. 💪 https://t.co/GkOtE8JaCi https://t.co/4XGdzcE31d
— Microsoft Edge Dev (@MSEdgeDev) January 15, 2021
This could be a good alternative for users who don’t want to use Safari or Chrome, so do keep an eye out for it. Microsoft has made some changes to its Edge browser ever since it was first announced. The newer versions are built on Chromium, which is the same platform that Google uses for its Chrome browser, which means that it shouldn’t be too different of an experience if you’re coming from Chrome.
It also means that extensions available on Chrome should also be supported on Edge, so like we said, it might be a good alternative. For M1 Mac users who are interested, you can go ahead and check out the beta via Microsoft’s website.
