Microsoft took the wraps off Microsoft Edge, which was previously code named Project Spartan, which will replace Internet Explorer (IE), at its annual developers' conference on Wednesday.

The Independent reports that some time back Microsoft had announced its decision to kill off Internet Explorer and replace it with a new, much faster and slimmed down browser that was code named Project Spartan. However, now the Redmond, Washington-based tech company has now named the new project and also provided more details on how the browser will work.

According to Microsoft, the Edge will be the primary/default browser built into Windows 10.

The new browser also has a new logo - something similar to that of the IE, still representing a swirling lowercase "e." But the the directions of those swirls have been changed and even the colour is a little darker.

In addition to being a much faster browser, the Edge incorporates new features, for instance the ability to draw over Web pages. The browser also comes with Microsoft's virtual assistant, Cortana, integrated to help with searches.

In March, Microsoft said that it was looking for a name that would put an end to the now-toxic Internet Explorer brand. The new browser, however, retains some of the connection with the Internet Explorer. According to the company, research had shown that users said they liked the browser being named with Microsoft much more compared to those with Windows or Internet Explorer.

In the meantime, the old IE will continue to be available in Windows 10, albiet for a short period. This will enable companies that are yet to update important sites to work with newer browsers to continue working. After that, Microsoft is expected to kill the site off completely.

According to Tech Crunch, though much detail is not available regarding the Edge, some unique feature of the latest browser includes the following:

•  Cortana support
•  Built-in reader, note-taking and sharing features
•  Design focused on simplicity and minimalism
•  The rendering engine dubbed as EdgeHTML