Opera Launches New Rendition

internetnews.com ^ | 23 December 2004 | Tim Gray

[ShadowAce]

Opera Software said the latest version of its browser has so many new bells and whistles that developers decided to skip the traditional version release and opt for a full-scale launch.

"We were preparing for the 7.60 release, but as work progressed and we kept adding improvements and functionality, it became very evident that we now have a browser that is so powerful, secure and easy to use that it exceeds the next logical version number and warrants a major release," said Jon S. von Tetzchner, Opera CEO, in a statement.

The new version includes an updated and more prominent RSS tool that appears in the address bar on sites that offer feeds. New rendering technology was designed to adapt Web page content to fit the width of a window, allowing users to have multiple windows open with no horizontal scrolling.

Opera also includes voice technology that allows users to browse the Web using spoken commands, such as "Opera next link," "Opera back," or "Opera speak." The command will make Opera read Web page content and e-mail messages aloud, adding usability as either a screen reader or advanced dictionary.

Other functions include integrated search, tabbed browsing with saved sessions and built-in e-mail. And according to the company, Opera is tightly coded to optimize speed and security while browsing the Web.

"A browser is much more than what meets the eye," said Christen Krogh, vice president of engineering at Opera, in a statement. "To maximize speed, security and page handling, Opera's core and supporting code has undergone dramatic improvements based on the strict efficiency requirements brought in from the mobile phone market. In addition, the new Opera browser comes with an update check function to ensure that you will always have the latest version for maximum protection and performance."

The Norwegian-based browser maker would not disclose the latest version name when it released the beta Thursday, but said those who have licensed Opera 7 will receive free upgrades.

[ShadowAce]

While I'm a Firefox fan, I thought this may be interesting to the List, as I've noticed quite a few Opera users her on FR.

[Anti-MSM]

I tried Opera for a while. I thought it looked nice and it was easy to use, but I had problems with some sites that I used on a regular basis (mainly sites with SSL). I've been using Firefox for about 2 months now and it's been great. There have been only a few sites for which I have had to resort to using IE.

[steve86]

I use both Firefox and Opera, mostly Firefox now because certain Opera printing problems under Linux have never been solved. However, I no longer see the SSL problems that once occurred with Opera. This may be different under Linux as specific libraries are loaded under each O/S version.

[Anti-MSM]

It's good to know that Opera seems to have worked out this problem. Firefox has been really good and it has lots of nice extensions to customize it. If I ever run into problems with it, though, I may give Opera another try.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks.