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Microsoft, who recently hobbled thousands of WebCams is now desperately trying to “bribe” consumers to use they new Edge browser.
So desperate is big US software company to get consumers to desert Chrome and Firefox browsers that they have recently introduced a rewards program in the US that’s been described as “out and out bribery”. At this stage it’s not known whether Microsoft Australia plans to introduce that bribery program here.
The newly rebranded Microsoft Rewards – formerly Bing Rewards, which paid people for using Bing as their search engine (another product Microsoft says is better than a Google product but that very few people actually use) – will now pay consumers to use their Edge browser; using Edge, shopping at the Microsoft store, or using Bing.
As part of the program Microsoft actively monitors whether you’re using Edge for up to 30 hours a month. It tracks mouse movements and other signs that you’re not trying to manipulate the system, and if that’s not bad enough,you must also have Bing set as your default search engine.
Points can then be traded in for vouchers or credit for places such as Starbucks, Skype, Amazon and ad-free Outlook.com – remember, if you’re not paying for something, you are the product.
Microsoft claims that that Edge browser is faster, more battery efficient and all-round better than Chrome or Firefox.
You can even draw on websites with a stylus. Trouble is, not very many people are using either the age browser or Microsoft’s Bing search engine. This is despite Microsoft constantly defaulting Windows 10 users constantly to their own browser and search engine.
As one consumer told SmartHouse “it’s a shocking browser and god awful, search engine”. They added “consumers are not stupid when Microsoft’s Explorer browser had the lion share of market share, Google was able to knock it off by simply delivering a superior browser that delivered better search results was easier to use and above all significantly faster. There is no way that Microsoft is going to win share back”.
Firefox narrowly overtook Microsoft’s combined Internet Explorer (IE) and Edge browsers for the first time globally last month, according to independent web analytics company StatCounter.
Its analytics arm, StatCounter Global Stats finds that Firefox took 15.6% of worldwide desktop browser usage in April compared to a combined 15.5% for IE and Edge. Google’s Chrome continues to lead the way with 60.5% worldwide.
