Opera Software today launched the highly anticipated new version of its browser, Opera 8 for Windows and Linux. Internet users can now surf the Web faster, safer and easier than before. Opera 8 is a substantial upgrade from previous versions, and includes new features such as a unique security information field that indicates the trustworthiness of banking and shopping Web sites and voice interaction capabilities. The new version of Opera also introduces an advanced page-resizing function that adapts Web pages to fit the width of any screen or window.
Source: Opera
_(Tadah – Opera man!)_
I have tried the browser personally during the beta. Pretty good browser. I think it is speedy and perhaps faster than Firefox in terms of speed.
The usual browser stuff are there – Tab browsing, pop-up blocker, security and stuff. I shan’t talk about that since tab browsing is tab browsing and there really isn’t much to talk about anyway.
First, there is this Fast Forward button which can actually detect the most likely page that you want to view next. It’s like the conventional Back and Forward button that you see in normal browsers such as Internet Explorer. It has an added feature though. When you press that button, it tries to figure out which is the more likely page you want to forward to. So there is some sort of predictive stuff programed right there. Of course, to complement – there is a Fast Backward button.
One thing I really like about the Opera browser is it’s ability to save sessions of the pages that I am viewing. We all have been familiar with tab browsing, but once you close Firefox, the pages you view is just gone! Gone in 0.6 seconds. Of course, you can start digging out your history and start opening the pages again the next time round. For Opera, you can shut down the computer and switch it on a week after you return from Hawaii and still see ALL you tabs nicely displayed.
And you got to love this – mouse gestures. It’s a little hard to explain how it works actually, it’s best to try it for yourself. Basically, you can click, hold and move your mouse is a particular direction and Opera 8 will capture your – I supposed since there is keystrokes – mousestrokes and react the browser accordingly. Event that occur include going back to the previous page and reloading.
Some of the strangest features found include IRC, quick preference and a bloody Google Ad right on top as I am not paying for Opera. Opera adds it’s own IRC client that could have been better, don’t use your browser to chat, it’s kinda silly. Anyway, it’s instant messenger these days. As for quick preference, I actually found it to be not that useful. I realized once I configure my browser for the first time, I don’t really revisit the settings. And yes, you get the Google Ad right on the top. If you don’t mind, please click on your Google Ad right at the bottom of this page instead so that I can cover my web hosting costs a little, hahaa…
Nafcom loves the Opera mail. However, it doesn’t really appeal to me that much. I prefer accessing my email through Gmail. The mail client includes a newsreader and a RSS or Atom feed reader.
The problem with Opera is that it is too cluttered. All sorts of strange icons, panels, toolbars, buttons, whatever you call them. It is little like a clean interface. Thankfully, most of these can be turned off. [Except the Google Ad of course, but it's free, so...] The reason why I use Internet Explorer is because of its toolbars that I am used to. Personally, I have the Standard Buttons (Back, Forward and stuff), Address bar and the Google toolbar in Internet Explorer. And when I use Opera, I somehow manage to put everything up pretty much the same way that Internet Explorer look like. Yeah, except the Google Ad since Opera 8 is ad-supported.
Of course, there are other features in Opera 8. I just mentioned those I have noted. I am sure I missed out some of them. But those are the features I use more on. There is a password manager that you may like but I am not a fan of password managers.
Possibly related:
beconfused//icon
One of the best features that Microsoft gave to the internet is favicon. Microsoft implements it badly in Internet Explorer for favicon. I made a logo for //beconfused. I made like 10 sketches in total but I like one particular logo the most. I chose t…
by //beconfused (Apr 28, 2005 at 12 AM)By the way: Opera 6 had IM (an ICQ client).
by Nafcom (May 1, 2005 at 8 PM)Nafcom: It does? Do you use it? Opera seems to be interested in building a browser that is integrated with every tool you can think of. I see IRC inside Opera 8, mail, RSS reader, newsreader too I think.
by Mr. Dew (May 1, 2005 at 10 PM)Mr Dew: No, I didn’t use it when it was in Opera 6. I only use Opera 8 English final.
by Nafcom (May 4, 2005 at 4 AM)