Category: Browsers

I mentioned just a couple of posts ago how I found Opera 9 in my logs. I didn’t expect anything to be released in a good while yet, but once again I’m pleasantly surprised. Today (or yesterday, considering it’s past midnight already) a preview ofOpera 9 was released. It’s still in the early stages of development, but there are some nice things the developers just ached to show us so far: 😉

• support for XSLT, Canvas 2D, and Web Forms 2.0
• rich-text editing on Web pages
• site-specific preferences
• a new IMAP back-end
• access to Opera’s preferences via opera:config

For a full overview, see the changelog and download links for Windows, Unix and Mac

Of course, by releasing this preview Opera invites users to discuss it in the forums – they are particularly interested in feedback about:

• speed and stability
• IDing as Opera by default
• rendering regressions since Opera 8.5
• problems connecting to secure sites using TLS 1.1

One thing any have looked forward to, are the site specific preferences. Who’s better to tell us about those and more than the Opera guys themselves, in their blogs? Such as HÃ¥vard, Peter Karlsson, Rijk, Tim Altman, …

I could go on, but I’m sure you want to go test it yourself, as soon as possible. I will, at least. So go ahead! 😉

Opera is continually being updated and improved. While Opera 8.5 was released just a few weeks ago, work is well underway withthe next incarnation, codenamed Merlin. And I expect it to work its magic as the name implies – if only in the sense “Any science advanced enough will seem like magic” (who was it that said that, by the way?)

From time to time we read some small snippets by the developers about this browser – but when can we expect it to be released? I have no idea – but someone is obviously testing the internal build, because in my web log today I found that someone have paid me a (short) visit with a browser that identified itself as Opera 9! 🙂

Of course, that someone is testing an internal build doesn’t mean that it is anywhere near a public release, but it’s a nice little reminder – should we ever need it – that Opera ASA is constantly improving its browser so that we get the best possible experience out of it. And it is a bit titillating to see the entry, teasing me with a promise of what is to come. 😉

A while ago, we were told by Opera that they would have some big news for us at a later time. Speculations were rife if this meant a free version of Opera without advertising banner – but we didn’t know, and Opera wouldn’t tell.

Then there was a party, and to celebrate its 10 years, Opera gave away free registration codes. This were of course big news, and millions got their code for free. So in a way, it seemed that the big news we were promised were a free browser, without advertising – if not the way it was expected.

However, don’t forget: This is Opera, a company with a great taste for PR. Today Opera 8.5 was released – and it’s free! The advertising banners are gone! If the banners were turning you off earlier, now there’s no excuse anymore. Go to Opera, download it. And if there’s too much traffic, download with bittorrent.

Opera is a great browser that has its friends and supporters, and people who have no problems pointing out its strengths, even though they may use a different browser themselves. There are some, however, who seems unable to be happy on behalf of Opera or say anything about Opera unless it is to pull the browser down.

With the recent registration code giveaway to celebrate Opera’s 10 year birthday, complaints over the ads in Opera were almost gone – although I did see one who blamed Opera for the ads on the web pages, because Opera don’t feature a built in ad blocker… The usual claims of bloatednes prevailed though.

Now, as said in the Wikipedia, software bloat is two things: To use larger amount of system resources than before, or to implement extraneous functions. How does this relate to Opera?

Opera is a small download, smaller than its competition, even though it includes more features. Installed, it’s also less demanding on system resources, so obviously the bloat can’t refer to the coding. This is confirmed by those who claims Opera is bloated, in that they speak about the interface and features. So, let’s look a bit closer into that.

First a definition:

Extraneous

adj. Something that is extraneous happens or concerns things outside the situation or subject that you are talking about.

Extraneous functions in Opera should therefore be functions that is outside its intended “working area” – this is not just a browser, but the whole internet suite. However, let’s look at the browsing experience first.

Email, irc, newsreader, rss feed reader – these things are by default not enabled. Thus, if you just want a browser and nothing more, there are no extra features to clutter up the UI and confuse you. In practical terms it means they don’t exist. The sidebar also contains various options; some enabled by default, some not. Again – if you don’t want them, they don’t exist, for all practical purposes.

So those features that don’t show up in the user interface don’t contribute to the claimed bloat. That leaves only the browser features themselves. Are they really that bloated – that is, do they really include much that doesn’t have anything to do with browsing? At the first glimpse: No. The few buttons that are immediately available all have to do with the navigation of web pages. Clicking on the address bar reveals some more, but these functions are also directly linked to navigation of web pages. How is it, compared to other browsers? It’s different – but not really more than people expect to have these days.

So, no bloat in the browser, I’d say. All of the available functions have to do with browsing and navigating the web pages, the Opera way. True, you may prefer a different setup, different functions – but these are only a right click away, to customise everything to your liking.

With this in mind, what is it that makes these people claim that Opera is bloated, when looking at what the browser actually do goes against these claims? It’s just plain silly…

It’s already all over the net: Opera is turning 10 years, and at the party today they’re giving away birthday presents to their users: Free registration codes! What a pleasant surprise. 🙂

Of course, while this is the most exciting news at the party, there’s also nice music to listen to, sung and compiled by Opera employees. IRC logs of the chat with Jon von Tetzchner, HÃ¥kon Wium Lie and Trond Werner Hansen will probably be up all over too soon, for those who didn’t attend or want to read it nicely formatted. There’s pictures and film from the Opera party, and a trip down memory lane with pictures of how Opera has evolved through the versions.

But it’s still not over: While the registration code giveaway will only last for a day, there’s an anniversary competition, too:

Share your birthday wishes with Opera and win a prize! Use your imagination – the more creative the better. Write a poem, haiku, a story, draw a picture or just something fun. Our 100 favorite submissions will be shared with the Opera community and the winners will receive a super-cool Opera t-shirt!

The submissions for this is due September 6th. See more details at the page.

Hot on the heels of the news about Opera Mini being released today, I just now saw an ad on TV that I enjoyed: Opera Mini is being promoted, together with the easy downloading instructions (Send an SMS with “Opera” to 1984 – Norway only, remember.)

The ad is straightforward enough: Have access to the web wherever you are. A couple of guys sit down on a motorbike, switch to a mobile phone which shows how easy it is to use Opera Mini, and how good looking it is(!). Switch back to the two guys, where the passenger starts singing opera. 😉

Looks like the best browser is set to get well known. 🙂

So far, Opera has spread out on the desktop, on various platforms, and on advanced mobile phones. Users with only access to the net via WAP could only look at the rest with envy – up until now. Opera is introducing Opera Miniâ„¢ for WAP phones that can run java. With this, you’re no longer restricted to WAP pages, but you can surf the web as normal. Installing is as easy as downloading a ringtone; click a link, or send an SMS. (Currently available for users in Norway.)

Another first for Opera. Now – where’s my phone…

…then there must be many who are blissful in the media. How many times have there been articles in the news, where the author seems blissfully unaware of Opera, even if it should be the most natural thing to at least mention considering the theme being discussed? It’s many.

This time, it’s Yahoo’s turn, talking about the Minimo project from Mozilla. That Mozilla now is releasing a preview version of Minimo is well worth mentioning, even writing an article about. The only thing is something written in the article:

In general, Mimimo looks to address the problems with current mobile-phone browsers, which are difficult to use and don’t display web pages very well. Only 9 percent of cellular-phone subscribers in the United States use browsers to access news and information, according to JupiterResearch.

“The lack of usability on the cellular phone or mobile device is a big hurdle to overcome before we can see faster growth of browsers,” Hofmann said.

Wouldn’t it be natural to mention Opera here, as one mobile-phone browser that doesn’t have these problems? There’s no need to have much of the article talking about the Opera alternative, but it would be nice to know that there already is an alternative browser out there, which already do what Minimo is setting out to solve…

Maybe if people were informed about the choices they already have, with a browser that provides very much usability today, the market would grow faster?

Well – the IE7 beta is out – sort of, it’s not for everyone. But, some have tried it, and in the IE Blog there is a link in the comments to a screenshot of IE7 running the Acid 2 test.

Seems there’s still some way to go for MS to compete with modern browsers 😉

Still, the comments about this beta goes to both extremes, from praising it to slagging it off. It will be interesting to see what we get, when it’s ready for public download.