Microsoft decided not to adopt WebKit in Spartan to avoid being dependent on Google
One of the novelties of Windows 10 that has generated the most buzz and interest is the inclusion of a new browser, called Spartan, which would mark a before and after compared to what we have seen to date in Internet Explorer, both in terms of functionality and interface.
One of the most controversial decisions linked to this browser was Microsoft's refusal to adopt WebKit, to end up implementing a modified version of Trident , to which all the necessary changes will be made to be able to adapt as well as possible to modern web standards, thus forgetting about compatibility with old websites (so that they can continue using the old Internet Explorer, which will also come included in Windows 10).
Until now, all we knew about this decision is that it was made after a long time of discussion and debate within the company, without revealing the reasons that motivated them to continue using Trident.
Now, thanks to a source in Paul Thurrott, we learn that Redmond's main reason for not adopting WebKit was to avoid being dependent on Googlefor the development of a strategic browser component.
According to said source, Microsoft carried out a long and painstaking investigation into which of the branches of WebKit was the most powerful and viable to implement, the one used by Apple in Safari and iOS, or the Google-modified version used in Chrome, called Blink .
The Redmonds came to the conclusion that Blink, Google's version of WebKit, was superior to Apple's in almost every relevant way, and also had a much brighter future. However, once they got to that point they realized that adopting Blink in Spartan/Internet Explorer would mean giving Google full control over one of the most relevant components of the browser , and that for strategic reasons, they could not afford to be in such a position of vulnerability before the interests of another company (less so with the history of conflicts and hostilities that exists between these 2 companies in particular).
The other option was to work together with Apple in the development and implementation of WebKit, a path that Redmond was not too enthusiastic about, so they finally decided to return to Trident and dedicate efforts to make this engine It will improve its performance by freeing it from the shackles of backward compatibility.
Paul Thurrott's source also points out that the results of the modifications to Trident have exceeded even Microsoft's expectations, which which leads us to have more hopes in the quality of the final version that will be included with Windows 10.
Via | Thurrott.com In Genbeta | Blink: Google strikes back with another new rendering engine for Chrome
