[Review] Opera 8

[muzikool]

Here's a review I found of the new version of Opera. I'm still convinced that Firefox is the way to go. Some of the main highlights are noted below.

Opera's new Web browser responds to commands you speak into a microphone. It rearranges pages to fit narrower windows. It adds a security bar to help reduce the risk of fraud. All impressive features.

But when it comes to the basics, too many Web sites simply don't work as well with Opera when compared with rival browsers from Microsoft Corp. and the Mozilla Foundation.

Many of Opera's returning features are similar to those of Mozilla's Firefox, which itself offers more than Microsoft's aging Internet Explorer.

A few features aren't available in Firefox at all.

You can doubleclick on any word on a Web page to get a menu of options, including copying to a clipboard, translating it to another language — and now, with voice support, hearing it. You can also instruct Opera to start where you left off — sites you had opened when you last used Opera would reappear.

But these features are only useful if you can get sites to display.

I haven't run into any sites that didn't work at all with Opera, but many didn't work as well.

The $39 browser (free if you accept ads) is available for Windows and Linux computers, though the voice features need Windows 2000 or XP.

A Mac OS version is being tested.

If IE were the only option, then Opera would be a strong candidate.

But Firefox handles all the basics well. For free. And on the Mac.

Full Article

 

[gonaads]

The last line in your quote says it all.

 

[muzikool]

Yeah, I especially don't see how they can continue to charge $39 for an ad-free version.

 

[Xie]

Yeah, I especially don't see how they can continue to charge $39 for an ad-free version.

Same way alot of software companys can. They set the few and they have enough people that don't mind paying it.

Also death to the Fox, long live SeaMonkey.

 

[Lee]

I am sure I have said it before, especially being an IE lover I won't buy any browser as I use all other browsers for checking webs I have created, I do remember when Opera expired after 30 days, nice now though they let us have a bit of ad-aware so I can keep it for free.

I never understand why it's toted as the worlds fastest browser, IE loads pages quicker, from what I can see.

 

[Xie]

I never understand why it's toted as the worlds fastest browser, IE loads pages quicker, from what I can see.

Not always and for sure not on Mac, Linux, *BSD, ect.

 

[NetRyder]

Yeah, I especially don't see how they can continue to charge $39 for an ad-free version.

I don't have a problem with them charging for it. There's a lot of work that goes into software development, and $40 is not too much to ask for in return.

With that said, I personally won't pay for something until it can do something significantly better than the free alternatives. If there was some killer-feature in Opera, I wouldn't mind paying for it. But for now, I'm doing just fine with Firefox.

 

[muzikool]

With that said, I personally won't pay for something until it can do something significantly better than the free alternatives. If there was some killer-feature in Opera, I wouldn't mind paying for it. But for now, I'm doing just fine with Firefox.

That's what I took into account when I implied that $39 was too much to ask. If it's not significantly better, or even better at all, then why would I pay that much for it?

 

[SPeedY_B]

Their browser IS very fast at rendering, can't deny that, but with a few paint/draw speed tricks, and some tweaks, other browsers (read: Fx) can rival it.

I really don't know why Opera still bother to be perfectly honest. I can hold my hands up and say that I do not know a single person who uses, or to be honest, has ever used Opera. I've used it once or twice on Windows for design testing, and once on BeOS because the browser provided was arse (and Fx didn't exist back then )

Would appear that some folk (less than 1% in most cases) do use it though:

speedyb.co.uk


macirc.co.uk


camportal.co.uk

 

[Xie]

I know 3 people that use Opera.

 

[SPeedY_B]

Educate them.