On Wednesday, January 21, Microsoft will finally talk about Windows 10 and its new features, and the company will show off for the first time its new web browser. Currently codenamed Spartan, the brand new web browser will be a piece software for all versions of Windows 10 that will also run extensions like Google Chrome.
We’ve been talking about Spartan for a few months now, but today, Neowin reposts a bit of more information about how Microsoft plans to integrate extensions into the browser and how it plans to lure developers to write for the platform. According to the report, Spartan will implement extensions almost identically to Chrome, which technically means that Chrome extensions could work on Spartan, or at least it will make the process very simple to build extensions for Spartan, if the developer knows how to code for Chrome.
There is also confirmed evidence that shows how similar Spartan extensions are to Google Chrome. WrapMSBrowserExtensionPageAndBackground.js was spotted at Pastebin, which is a file built in Windows 10 and unveils various similarities between both platforms.
If true, the approach Microsoft is trying will make super easy for developers to port or create new extensions for Spartan, as they can simply bring their Chrome extensions to a new browser without much complexity and having the knowledge to build extensions for Chrome will work with Spartan.
We will hear more about Spartan during the press event Microsoft will hold on January 21, which we’re also expecting to hear details on how the company plans to make the new browser work across Windows 10, Windows 10 mobile, and Xbox One.
Also keep in mind that Spartan isn’t Internet Explorer replacement, or at least not yet, as the popular web browser will continue to ship with Windows 10 for who actually need it.
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Apart from extensions, Spartan is expected to feature Microsoft’s own Trident rendering engine and not Webkit and other web browsers. However, Microsoft’s new browser will present itself as Webkit to improve compatibility.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].