Microsoft Edge now available to test in free virtual machines

Microsoft Edge is now open to be tested by Windows, Mac and Linux users as the Microsoft Edge Dev website leaves Beta status.

Virtual machine images are now available to download for popular virtual machine platforms.

For now, this may be the only way developers and users can try Edge without Windows 10, with Microsoft having no plans to make the browser native in other platforms.

The images allow web developers to test their websites and apps on Edge"s new rendering engine. Other users, with supported virtual machine software, can also use the images to try the browser out for free.

The current virtualization platforms supported are: HyperV_2012, VirtualBox and VMware on Windows; Parallels, VirtualBox and VMware on Mac; and VirtualBox on Linux. The virtual machines expire after 90 days.

Microsoft say new automated processes for releasing virtual machines allow for future updates to be deployed faster, as the platform is updated.

Support for new formats will be available in the coming weeks beginning with Vagrant boxes (with Virtual Box) and QEMU.

Work is continuing on bringing Microsoft Edge to Azure RemoteApp however no further details on its availability were released. When available, a 60 minute limit will be set for developers testing Edge via Azure RemoteApp.

Source: Microsoft Edge Dev Blog via ARN