Opera Browser Beta Adds Voice, More

An anonymous reader writes "According to an article at DesktopLinux.com, the first public beta of Opera 8 is available for free download. It adds voice input/output and a host of other niceties. Key new features include improved RSS handling, fit to window or paper width, a start-bar for easy access to the most commonly used functions, and automatic update checks. The beta release supports Windows only, but a general release is scheduled for early 2005. Opera and IBM have partnered on XHTML+Voice (X+V) technology for several years, co-announcing a Multimodal Browser and Toolkit early in 2003."

Comments

Link says Opera 7.54u1

[Alien Venom]

Linked page says Opera 7.54u1.

Opera 8.00 Beta 1 - ftp://ftp.opera.com/pub/opera/win/800b1/en/std/ow3 2enen800b1.exe
Opera 8.00 Beta 1 w/o Java - ftp://ftp.opera.com/pub/opera/win/800b1/en/std/ow3 2enen800b1.exe

Re:Major Version Upgrade Again

[kilogram]

I get a bit tired of paying again just to get a browser that crashes less.

Actually, this update is free for paying Opera 7 customers, and the final version will be too. See this article.

Gmail Support

[vikramrn]

From the Changelog

Support for XMLHttpRequest; Gmail Web mail is fully supported.

Now that should get the attention of slashdotters :)

Re:The new beta is awesome.

[Twinbee]

Exactly, and you can even 'move' the advert so that it appears similar to the way it was in Opera 7.2 (i.e. at the top right). Simply select View > Toolbars > Main bar, and viola (see a PNG shot here). That screenshot is from 7.5, but I assume you can do the same with 8.

One of things I love about Opera is how configurable its interface is. For example, Explorer could learn a thing or two from the way Opera allows buttons to be easily dropped onto toolbars.

Plus the email client (M2) rules.

New and improved Licence as well

[zxSpectrum]

What also needs to be mentioned is that the Licence has changed for paid customers. Quoting:

In fact, we've just given all Opera 7 customers a free upgrade, and added to this, we've changed our license terms so that there is only one license for all desktop platforms, which means that you can install Opera on any number of computers in your own home, regardless of the (desktop) operating system used. Yes, that's right. You can install the registered version of Opera as many times as you like with just a single license.

Your feedback welcome!

[ijablokov]

Hi all,

I'm the IBM program director over this product, working in partnership w/ Opera. Some quick comments: The X+V spec unifies HTML & VoiceXML and is currently undergoing the W3C process for standardization. We wrote it together w/ Motorola & Opera and have made it open. We also have an Eclipse-based SDK available at http://www.ibm.com/pvc/multimodal and a prototype one at http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/mmtplus that allows you to visually build these multimodal apps.

Some of you may wonder why you should voice enable your Web content. First of all, one of my lead researchers is blind, and it's quite amazing to see how much he can accomplish today. Given that, in the future, I'm hoping a lot more content will be open to people with various disabilities.

Secondly, how useful is your cellphone for accessing the Web? It has a small screen & limited input. Now imagine just speaking into a multimodal portal: "weather forecast", "my portfolio", "eBay bids", "any high priority mail?", "am I free tomorrow at noon?", etc. The portal understands your input & fetches relevant info, which may also be tied into location based services. 50% of you will use multimodal services by 2010; this is intended as the replacement to WAP.

Warm regards!

Igor Jablokov

Re:Your feedback welcome!

[ijablokov]

Forgot to include feedback links. :)

Be sure to post your questions to Opera here:

http://my.opera.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=e4 7b 2a7f796603541134f9feaae4a8e1&forumid=95

or to IBM here:

nntp://news.software.ibm.com/ibm.software.speech .m ultimodal/

Thanks!
Igor Jablokov

Changed licence conditions

[ironfrost]

They changed the licence conditions too for version 8. Instead of having to buy Opera for Windows and Linux, you now buy one licence for "Opera for desktop", which allows you to install it on as many computers as you like within your own home.

Re:The new beta is awesome.

[Belisarivs]

Those "ads" (only in the free version) constitutes a single banner matched to fit in the otherwise vacant space in the right side of the toolbar at the top of the browser. An ad for UserFriendly.org isn't (at least I think UF still has ads with Opera) isn't worthy of your desktop, but white pixels are?

I paid for the full version not because the ads were annoying (I never noticed them), but because I wanted to support what I thought was a great browser. Opera ads are about the least intrusive ads I have ever seen.

Re:And the countdown begins

[bhtooefr]

MODERNIZING it? WTH does that mean? OK, so it's not open source. And, it IS free, you just have to have ads. No, it's not Free. Still, it's damn good, and I've heard that 8.0B1 changes the license terms to allow one license to work on any computers you own - no matter the OS.

Shouldn't be feeding the trolls, but...

[hkmwbz]

"Except you forgot the 11Mb Java download that is mandatory when you install Opera. Firefox just works."

Wrong. Firefox uses the exact same Java environment as Opera does. Opera just offered a download with Java as a convenience. Without Java installed, neither Firefox nor Opera will be able to show Java applets.

Opera 8.0 doesn't offer Java anyway, since it's installed only when needed.

"You also forgot to award points to Firefox for having fewer rendering problems than Opera. Sneaky. Is this typical of advocates of closed source software?"

Your FUD and lies are typical of certain Firefox zealots, and that is why I am more and more hesitant to use Firefox. I simply can't stand many of the users that keep trying to shove Firefox down people's throats with misleading statements, FUD and lies.

Rendering problems - Firefox can't even render Slashdot correctly. How's that for "rendering problems"?

Re:And the countdown begins

[bhtooefr]

For Windows users, Konqueror needs either Cygwin+KDE or a Linux distro with KDE (can be added) to run. I said Firefox was 4.1MB, but I was wrong - it's 4.7. However, while Opera's download size is huge for the Java version, keep in mind - Firefox and Seamonkey don't come with Java either. Here's the sizes of the various browsers:

Opera 7.54u1 (Java/None): 16.7/3.6MB
Opera 8.00b1 (None/Voice): 3.5MB/6.0MB (note: voice is a download AFTER the beta is installed)
Firefox 1.0: 4.7MB
Mozilla Suite 1.7.5: 11.0MB

Functionality of the above:
Opera: Web, mail, news, RSS, notetaking, chat, (8.00b1) voice
Firefox: Web, RSS
Mozilla Suite: Web, mail, news, chat(?), web development

Re:The new beta is awesome.

[Taladar]

1) You can switch from graphical to text ads

2) I tried to switch from Opera to Firefox more than once but was back after a few days because Firefox clearly is inferior, the integration of the plugins is far worse than the corresponding features in Opera and the Browser is often unresponsive for several seconds.

3) I use Closed Source Software when it is clearly better and at the Moment Opera is although I use Open Source Software for anything else

4) I started with the Ad-Supported version, then I cracked it for a few months but since it is the Software I use most and I now earn money I thought it was worth to buy it so I did even though I did not get any advantages over the cracked version simply because I wanted to support the Development of my favorite Browser

5) Opera uses very little Screen Real Estate now as I use a minimal theme, deactivated the big button bar and the Panel Selector on the left. the only things I have left are the Tab Bar, the Address Bar, the Menu Bar and one bar with my favorite Bookmarks (and the Scroll Bar on the right). Combined with the Ratpoison Window Manager that does not use a Window Bar I can use over 90% of the Screen for the current Webpage.