Microsoft's new browser: It's 'Edge'

Microsoft announced the official name of its new browser during the opening day of its Build 2015 show.

The final name is not "Spartan," which was the codename for the browser, as many had hoped and predicted. Instead, it's Microsoft "Edge." (The FraWin.com site reported yesterday this would be the case.)

"It's the browser built for getting things done," is the new marketing slogan.

Even though Microsoft officials have been adamant in insisting that Spartan is not Internet Explorer -- and, in fact, is such a different fork of that browser that it's something totally new -- the new name is still fairly close to IE.

There's actually a good reason for that, in my opinion."Normal" users are very familiar with the current IE logo -- the stylized lowercase "e." They know if they click on the "e," they open a Web browser. If Microsoft suddenly changed that logo to an "s" or another new image/letter, there might be confusion among at least some of its user base.

Edge will be the only browser supported on Windows 10 Mobile devices. Microsoft will make both IE and Edge available on devices running Windows 10 Desktop on PCs, desktops, laptops and larger tablets, for backwards-compatibility reasons. Edge is integrated with Cortana and will be a Universal app, meaning it will be available for download, and be updated, from the Store.

If you're wondering about the significance of "Edge," it's the name of the rendering engine inside Microsoft's new browser.