There’s a particular kind of dread that hits when you hear your laptop’s fans go into overdrive. It usually indicates one of two things: that you are streaming 4K video or that your web browser has gone haywire. That has made for a frustrating experience for Mac users running Microsoft Edge of late. Microsoft has pushed out Edge version 144.0.3719.115 simply to address a rather ugly bug involving something called high CPU saturation—which is a fancy way of saying “working your little heart out for nothing.”
The ‘CPU Saturation’ Bug Explained
To understand the bug, imagine that the processor in your computer, or whatever device you’re using, is a chef working in a kitchen. Browsing the web should be like making a sandwich — easy, quick, low-effort. But this bug caused the browser to act as if it were throwing a 12-course banquet every time you opened a tab.
The browser had pushed the loop and the chef’s attention to 100%. Heat and noise. These produce two direct physical effects: heat and noise. The processor gets hot when it’s doing challenging work, and the fans (the cooling system) scream. Even more of a concern for laptop users is that it saps your battery life fast. You may have noticed that your MacBook is suddenly dying after 3 hours instead of 10. That was probably this bug there, eating your power.
The Chromium Connection
This update also contains “security patches for the Chromium 144 project.” This is where the family tree of web browsers becomes interesting. Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Brave, and Opera all share the same DNA — an open-source engine called Chromium.
Consider Chromium as the engine block of a car. Google builds the engine, but Microsoft buys it, installs it in its own chassis, adds its own leather seats (features), and brands it Edge. When a vulnerability is discovered in the engine (Chromium), every car manufacturer that uses it will have to recall (update) it. This release plugs holes that could be exploited by hackers to carry out attacks, and so serves double duty as a performance update and a security-related fever fix.
Why Use Edge on a Mac?
It may be hard for some people to understand why someone would use a Microsoft browser on an Apple computer when Safari already exists. The truth is that the web is a messy place, and sometimes sites are better supported on Chromium-based browsers. Even better, for users who have a Windows PC at work and a Mac at home, Edge will sync passwords, history, and bookmarks to keep them consistent across the two ecosystems — something Safari provides natively but Chrome does not. This update ensures that the convenience of Handoff doesn’t drain your Mac’s battery.
