Microsoft Edge, formerly known as Project Spartan, will ship on all Windows 10 devices
what's turning into the unofficial theme of Microsoft #Build2015 http://marketingland.com/... @bgr : Microsoft's completely redesigned web browser gets a name: Meet Microsoft Edge http://bgr.co/1zpLWoz Joanna Stern / @joannastern : Wonder if we'll ever see Microsoft Edge for iOS and Android. Molly Wood / @mollywood : The post-Internet Explorer Microsoft browser will be called Microsoft Edge, and it integrates Cortana. Cross-platform, I wonder? #Build2015 Seth Weintraub / @llsethj : “Browse the web at Edge speed with Microsoft's new browser” pic.twitter.com/vxJheg3m8j Geoffrey Fowler / @geoffreyfowler : What's Microsoft Edge's edge over tired old Internet Explorer? There's Cortana built in, for one. #Build2015 Shira Ovide / @shiraovide : Microsoft's new Web browser finally has a name: Microsoft Edge. (Let's hope they don't have to change it, like they did with “Metro.")
Context & Ripple Effects
The name ends months of 'Spartan' codename coverage: after building the new EdgeHTML rendering engine from scratch, Microsoft confirmed in March that the browser would carry a distinct name and brand separate from Internet Explorer. Today it landed: Microsoft Edge, shipping on every Windows 10 device.
The branding break matters because of how Microsoft is splitting its engines — the related coverage shows Edge gets the new renderer while IE 11 keeps Trident for legacy sites. Bundling Cortana into the browser, as first reported in January, makes this an assistant-and-services play, not just a rendering refresh.
First-order effects
- Every Windows 10 device now defaults to Microsoft Edge, giving the rebuilt browser an install base no rival can match overnight — while IE 11 survives only as the Trident-powered legacy fallback.
- Web developers heading into Build 2015 now have two Microsoft engines to validate against: EdgeHTML for modern pages and Trident for anything pinned to old behavior.
Second-order effects
- With Cortana embedded in the browser flow, Microsoft gains a search-and-assistant surface inside the default browsing experience, pressuring Google's hold on query entry points on Windows.
- Sites that ignored non-Chrome, non-Trident renderers now face a third engine worth testing for, since Edge will be the path of least resistance for hundreds of millions of Windows users.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, Microsoft treats the browser as an OS component tied to assistant integration rather than a standalone product — and the open questions from reporters about iOS and Android builds determine whether Edge stays a Windows moat or becomes a cross-platform contender.
- The dual-engine arrangement points toward a longer tail of legacy-web dependency: enterprises keep IE 11 alive for old intranet apps even as the consumer-facing brand moves on entirely.
The trend: Microsoft is rebuilding its browser identity from scratch around Windows 10 and Cortana, trading Internet Explorer's legacy baggage for a fresh engine and brand.