Opera 9: a foxier browser?

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Lachlan Grant28 June 2006, 9:26 AM

The latest Opera browser has an inbuilt torrent client as well as 'gadgets' like the Mac OS X Dashboard or Yahoo Widgets. It's certainly the most impressive version of Opera yet and a serious competitor for Firefox.


Opera Software recently released the latest version in its string of browsers for desktop PCs, Opera 9.

The Norwegian-based software development company have been producing web browsers since 1995 (even though it wasn’t freely available to the public until Opera 2.0 in 1996) for Windows, Mac OS, Solaris, FreeBSD and Linux, as well as browsers for mobile phones, smartphones, PDAs, game consoles and interactive TVs.

The key features that set its browsers apart from others at the time was its multiple document interface (MDI) and sidebar which made surfing multiple pages at the same time much easier, a feature that has been implemented in nearly all modern browsers (like Firefox’s tabbed browsing).

Also, it was the first browser to strictly adhere to the W3C standards making it a winner with every web developer.

This new version of the Opera browser includes a built-in BitTorrent client aimed at novice users that integrates file downloads into the browsers download manager (“Transfers” window).

Other new key features include a content blocker that removes ads and images that you specify from web pages, thumbnail previews of open tabs, the ability to set preferences (cookie blocking, popup blocking, etc) for individual sites that you visit, and widgets.

This latest version is available as a free download from Opera’s website here. Take it for a spin and post your thoughts on this latest version below.

Opera 9 - main interface

Opera 9 - widgets

Opera 9 - BitTorrent prompt

Opera 9 - Transfers window

Opera 9 - multiple pages with thumbnails


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Simon:

Nice browser. That is to say, its offering is very similar to firefox. pages tended to load slower for me, with the image border loading first - a bit annoying. tried it for a week then went back to firefox.

also has a "widget" system similar to yahoo's recent offering, which is interesting, but it's a bit distracting and too obtrusive for my liking.

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Aston:

I'm using Opera 9 right now, have been using Opera since 7. Always found it faster than phoenix (later firebird, then firefox), partly because it's better at loading images so pages tend to come up more quickly, and partly because it's not written in Java - so it actually runs as if it's not using any resources - exactly the way a browser should run.

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Gumjo:

It's a great browser, for sure, a much more intuitive and productive interface than Firefox. But for me, FireFox loads sites much faster - though reports are on the contrary - and some of Firefox's plugins from independant develelopers are too useful and cannot be made up for by Opera until they make an open-source plugin system.

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Eric Lin:

I installed Opera 9 at work and found it is great in terms of interface and usability.

And now I have installed it at home for both my Windows and Linux OS.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Dockersfan, WA:

Opera since last year - was a FireFox fan until Opera showed me it has mail/chat/bit-torrent clients built-in with voice recognition also has its own Community, where you are able to have your own webspace page.

Top job Opera and will continue to use this Norwegian browser.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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