Microsoft said it is integrating the popular Adobe Acrobat application for reading PDF files in its Edge web browser to provide the best user experience for users of the browser on Windows systems.
The company said that it has entered into a partnership with (Adobe) to integrate the application into the browser, which will provide users with a unique experience in reading high-quality (PDF) files, including more accurate display, clearer colors and graphics, as well as better performance and higher levels of protection, in addition to Many other features such as better text selection and auto play.
While the above features are free for all Edge users, those who choose to purchase Acrobat subscribers have access to advanced features such as editing text and images, converting PDFs to other formats, merging files, and other functions. The company said that those who previously subscribed to the Acrobat service can use their subscription for free in the browser version. Likewise, browser subscribers can take advantage of their subscriptions to the Acrobat apps on computers, phones, and the web.
The new service is expected to be available starting March 2023 for users of Edge browsers on Windows 10 and 11. The rollout will be gradual as the feature will be available first to businesses using the Microsoft Business Apps Pack for Windows 10 and 11. By 2024, The outdated PDF viewer will be completely replaced by Acrobat.
It should be noted that Microsoft launched its browser (Edge) in 2015 as an alternative to its old browser (Internet Explorer), whose use has declined significantly since Google's Chrome browser. The company (Edges) supported the EdgeHTML web page rendering engine at launch, but it could not surpass Chrome in terms of speed and performance, so it resorted to launching a new browser-based version in 2020. It was developed by Google.
According to StatCounter, despite the increase in global usage, Edge still ranks third in the browser market with 4.4% market share, behind Safari (18%) and Chrome (65%).