Microsoft proves the critics right: we’re heading toward a Chrome-only web

Last week, Microsoft made a major update to the Web version of its Skype client, bringing HD video calling, call recording, and other features already found on the other clients. And as if to prove a point, the update works only in Edge and Chrome. Firefox, Safari, and even Opera are locked out. In the past, the Skype team has pointed to codec issues as the reason for inconsistent browser support. But that shouldn't be a concern these days, as both the H.264 and VP8 video codecs are supported in Edge, Chrome, and Firefox. Google Hangouts and Google Meet support plugin-free video calling in Firefox, for example, as have other online services. For a long time, Apple refused to support WebRTC-the underlying browser technology used for real-time voice and video chatting-in Safari. But even that feature gap doesn't exist any more, and Safari should now support everything required. The trend is clear: Chrome is becoming the new Internet Explorer 6.