Some voices from the Microsoft chain state that the company is preparing on delivering a brand new browser for Windows 10, namely “Spartan”. Rumors go to suggest that the appearance of the new web browser will be a cross-breed between Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. The biggest improvement to Spartan in comparison to other browsers would be the fact that it will support real browser extensions, a feature that is laughable on its older brother, the Internet Explorer.
Some time before the start of the Windows 10 Technical preview, some cheeky voices spoke of the new version of the Internet Explorer. They made claims that the new browser should support extensions and benefit from a new and improved interface. At the very end of 2014 Neowin and ZDNet were stating, based on quite credible sources, that Windows 10 will bare not one, but two browsers. We are talking about a new Internet Explorer variant and Spartan, neither of which have been made available during the technical preview of Windows 10.
Several rumors and reports go to suggest that “Spartan” (just a codename for now), is indeed a new browser for Windows 10. It is surprising to take into account the fact that Spartan will be using the same Chakra JavaScript engine and Trident rendering engine as Internet Explorer. The design on the browser should be in every way different from IE, while allowing at the same time for extensions/add-ons to be used. This is by no means a definitive setting, we have no clear idea yet of what Microsoft is intending to create, so this big balloon of expectations might deflate right before our very eyes. A considerable amount of work will be required for the new browser to meet Windows 10 standards.
Neowin stated that Spartan “looks a lot like Chrome but with Microsoft’s flat lipstick applied”. Seeing that Internet Explorer 11 is quite flat, like it was stepped upon by a heard of elephants, the big improvement might refer to the fact the address bar will be relocated to its rightful place, below the tabs. It is too big of an assumption to make that Spartan will wash away the sins of the father, but only time will tell if Windows 10 will get a decent browser counterpart.