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Opera 8 Released

bonch writes "After a series of beta releases, Opera 8 final has now been released. Read the announcement complete with download links. The new Opera sports a streamlined interface and several rendering improvements."

676 comments

  1. Opera 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Opera 8?!? Blimey, I though the Ring Cycle went on too long, and there are only half as many as that.

    1. Re:Opera 8 by Marthisdil · · Score: 2, Funny

      No stopwatch. Less features than Mozilla. Lame.

      Anonymous poster. Someone who is blind to anything not open source. Lame.

    2. Re:Opera 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it was a nudge at Taco, the sentence is made in the same form that Taco used to spit on the iPod when it was released. :)

      Short answer: the parent posted useless features of Firefox to spit on Opera. As a joke.

      I just hope Opera 8 is more stable than Opera 7 on the Mac... Damn thing keeps crashing every 5 minutes. :(

    3. Re:Opera 8 by Esine · · Score: 1

      Actually I believe Opera HAS more features than Mozilla. A lot more. And features that matter, Opera is not bloated.

    4. Re:Opera 8 by grungebox · · Score: 1

      " No stopwatch. Less features than Mozilla. Lame."

      Anonymous poster. Someone who is blind to anything not open source. Lame.


      Marthisdil. Unaware of the clever reference to Taco's comments on the iPod. Lame.

    5. Re:Opera 8 by Marthisdil · · Score: 1

      Marthisdil. Unaware of the clever reference to Taco's comments on the iPod. Lame.

      Says who? I've always been one of the mind "if you can't make fun of yourself, you don't deserve to make fun of someone else." Too bad more people don't think the same :)

    6. Re:Opera 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That was the reason I started with Opera, back in version 5. I couldn't run anything more than Netscape Communicator (4.x) that was good. So-much-more-bloated Mozilla, at that time, was simply a joke on my system. This was when I was starting to use linux. And I remembered "oh, there was that Opera weird browser on windows... perhaps... a linux version exists?" A new Opera fan was born.

      Point is, as some already told: Opera has a faithful user base. Count me as one. Say all that you like about Opera. You're used to bashing others and even Mozilla.

      And for the FF zealots, one more notice about users. My dad today uses that system I mentioned before. He used for a very long time Netscape and uses Mozilla today. There's some connection there. I keep it on the latest version and it's really better today and less bloated. And before bashing him that he should use FireFox, think that he's also a "faithful userbase" and that he uses what solves his problems.

      I don't say FF or others are wrong. I just don't think that one solution can make everyone happy.

  2. The question every firefox user is asking by sp3tt · · Score: 5, Funny

    The question every firefox user is asking: Does it render slashdot correctly?

    1. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by aicrules · · Score: 4, Funny

      Unfortunately none of the nine users of this product were available for comment at the writing of this story.

    2. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by TheJavaGuy · · Score: 2

      Why shouldn't it? After all isn't slashdot an Opera friendly site!

      --
      Opera Watch - An Opera browser blog.
    3. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by PJBonoVox · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I use firefox and I'm not asking that question.

      You're grossly misinformed.

    4. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by AuSerpent · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The real question every firefox user has is does it have an adblock replacement yet. The filter thing they have just isn't good enough. I know this is a heated subject on the Opera forums. Talks of social agreements and ads and the like but I fail to see how it's any different than a popup blocker.

      I paid for Opera 7.5 and can use the 8+ series without paying for an upgrade (it's considered an upgrade to 7.54 since there was no 7.6) but I am having a hard time living without a nice adblock utility and therefore use firefox 99% of the time. I am glad to see version 8 has nice XMLHTTP request support though which was my only other reason for not using opera.

    5. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by nicomen · · Score: 4, Funny

      As long as Slashdot uses standards it should be safe.

      --
      Nicolas Mendoza
      Prepare for MSIE 7
    6. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
      "The real question every firefox user has is does it have an adblock replacement yet."
      There are SEVERAL ways to block ads with Opera. So it doesn't work exactly like AdBlock, but so what?

      And yes, it is different from a popup blocker. Popups take over the UI and cause problems. Normal ads are embedded in the web page.

    7. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Txiasaeia · · Score: 1

      Google "adblocker.css" - jor has had a terrific adblocker since v5 or 6.

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    8. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That means nobody's safe.

      Seriously, Slashdot STILL isn't standards-compliant... (go ahead, TEST IT yourself if you think we're trolling). Stop defending Slashdot for not following standards (and then SPIT and SHIT on all companies that don't).

      Two-faced backstabbers...

    9. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by peterprior · · Score: 3, Funny

      Opera appears not to be a slashdot friendly site..

      Connection refused..

    10. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by masklinn · · Score: 1

      The Opera website has been "slashdotted" for hours. I haven't been able to hit a single mirror yet...

      --
      "The way we can tell it's C# instead of Haskell is because it's nine lines instead of two." -- wadler
    11. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Isldeur · · Score: 1

      I paid for Opera 7.5 and can use the 8+ series without paying for an upgrade (it's considered an upgrade to 7.54 since there was no 7.6) but I am having a hard time living without a nice adblock utility and therefore use firefox 99% of the time.

      Use Privoxy - I've used it for a year or two and don't bother with browser solutions. Works very well. And apparently in windows too.

    12. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Tiger+the+Lion · · Score: 5, Informative

      For adblocking, you should try Proxomitron. I've found this to be a god-send for browsing - blocks ads, popups, etc, etc. Plus, the blocklists are constantly being updated by dedicated users, and can be found at CastleCops. For Linux, try Privoxy.

      --
      Daily energy news and discussion: theWatt.com
    13. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by rishistar · · Score: 4, Funny
      Unfortunately none of the nine users of this product were available for comment at the writing of this story.

      Yes but beware - one of them has mod points!

      Oh dang, can't use it on this discussion now.

      --
      Professor Karmadillo Songs of Science
    14. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Off course, you can allways use privoxy with opera as adblocker, allthough ff+adblock is still easier to update.
      And if you block opera.com with privoxy, you no longer get the banner ads in the free opera version =-D

    15. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by c0ldfusi0n · · Score: 1, Insightful

      The application itself has embedded ads (free version of Opera), do you expect they will block ads from everyone else?

      --
      A computer makes it possible to do, in half an hour, tasks which were completely unnecessary to do before.
    16. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by John+Blake · · Score: 0

      I personally LOVE Opera! When I first tried it I noticed how fast it was so I kept using it. I like the interface better and I actually dont mind the google ads. It's alot better then the picture ads.. I like the way the Tabs are spaced and I like the email interface and how easy it is to setp newsgroup feeds. At first it seemed a bit blocky because of all the options on the screen but I removed the ones I didn't need and now the interface looks cleaner to me. IMO this is well worh paying for and will try 8 when I get home.

    17. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you can use the user-javascript feature to filter ads quite effectively.

    18. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Mant · · Score: 1

      Are they as easy to use? I like adblock becasue I can just right click on the offending object and add it straight to my block list right there. Does Opera offer anything as user friendly?

    19. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by zoloto · · Score: 1

      It doesn't matter if it's a heated debate or not. THIS works!

      http://www.monroeworld.com/operafilter/download. ph p

    20. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Yusaku+Godai · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And that user with mod points happens to be me, and I'm in a particularly bad mood right now, so -1 to you! Except in posting this that will be undone. Ah well. Opera's a neat little package--does pretty much everything I want it to right out of the box. While it sorely lacks Firefox's extensibility, every time I install Firefox I find myself having to install at least 5 or 6 extensions to get it to work more like Opera (like getting tabs right). Granted, Opera isn't free. But the fact that I was actually willing to pay $40 for it is a testament to its goodness. I don't think I would pay $40 for Firefox (granted, at $0 it's a bargain). (Note: This is not a Firefox bash. I use it gladly anywhere that Opera is unavailable.)

    21. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Fiver- · · Score: 5, Funny

      I thought every Firefox user was asking "what features can we steal from this version of Opera?"

    22. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by badmammajamma · · Score: 1

      Yes, because all 9 were enjoying browsing the web with properly rendered pages...

      --
      Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood. -- H. L. Mencken
    23. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shame its for Windows only.

      Unfortunately, no adblock solution external (or hacked into Opera) has the ease of use and control that AdBlock for Firefox provides.

    24. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      I'm running a beta (don't know which is on this system - I THINK 1, but I'm not sure - it's build 7401) right now, but I'm sure the full version is pretty much the same in that respect.

      Yes, it does render /. correctly - in fact, every version 4.0+ (I forget if 3.x does, I know 2.x doesn't) does.

    25. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by rainman_bc · · Score: 1

      lol I think the GP was taking a stab at FF for not rendering /. correctly sometimes.

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    26. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by rainman_bc · · Score: 1, Troll

      The real question every firefox user has is does it have an adblock replacement yet.

      Doesn't Opera nail you with a godaweful banner ad at the top of the browser unless you pay for it? IMO that automatically makes it inferior to all the competition out ther.

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    27. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by zoloto · · Score: 1

      sad, but true

    28. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by slapout · · Score: 1

      Actually you have a chose. You can have it show Google Adwords. (Or you could with v7, not sure about v8). They're not very annoying (no graphics) and they try to be related to what you're browsing for.

      --
      Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
    29. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by spoonsman · · Score: 1

      Considering that many of the features Firefox made famous were introduced previously in Opera...

      Opera seems to be the little browser that tries out the new and innovative stuff, other projects come along and pick some of that stuff out, then the copycats seem to get the credit for it :(

      Anyway I'm quite happy that Slashdot carried this story, as I've been waiting for Opera 8 for some time now.

    30. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And all you have to do to surpass Opera's overall ease of use with Firefox is download Thunderbird and a dozen extensions.

    31. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by dswan69 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Have they fixed the defective saving of web pages? No they still continue to make ridiculous excuses.

    32. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by gad_zuki! · · Score: 1

      You can block ads system-wide by editing your hosts file. It doesnt matter what app I'm using, there will be no connection to doubleclick.net and a few hundred other ad servers.

    33. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slashdot's HTML 3.2 is really not that bad -- it uses a handful of old Netscape formatting attributes which can easily be ignored, and is missing some ALT tags. BFD.

      The big problem with slashdot is it uses a obsolete nested-table-based design, but that has nothing to do with standards.

      Firefox's rendering problems with /. have nothing to do with standards support, BTW.

    34. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I setup a item on my context menu to copy the url to the clipboard and open my privoxy user.action file in an editor.

    35. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Kamots · · Score: 1

      "paid for Opera 7.5 and can use the 8+ series without paying for an upgrade (it's considered an upgrade to 7.54 since there was no 7.6)"

      If you had paid for a hypothetical 7.01 or 7.87 you'd still be able to use the 8+ series without paying.

      The free version upgrade applies to the next full version, not the minor improvements made within that version.

    36. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Pusene · · Score: 1

      Opera 8 is available from http://www.download.com/. Let's try to /. those guys :-)

      --
      Error #13: No coffee. Operator halted. Please place boot device at bottom.
    37. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by kngthdn · · Score: 4, Informative

      At first Opera annoyed me, but over time I've really come to depend on it. It can do a few things the other browsers can only dream of.

      - It renders Slashdot fast and correctly!

      - The popup blocker *really* *works*!! Seriously. Firefox has been letting extra-evil ones through lately. Visit drudgereport.com for examples. ;- )

      - I has something called "spatial browsing" that makes keyboard surfing possible. I hold down shift, and the arrow keys navigate through links based on their location on the screen. Firefox can't do this at all.

      - Mouse gestures let me surf faster and with less effort. Firefox has a plugin, but Opera actually invented it.

      - The rewind button doesn't just go back a page, it goes back the last significantly different place I was.The fast-forward button works even when you haven't gone back yet. It reads the page and detects where to go. Firefox has nothing like this. I'm not sure how I lived without it. If I press fast forward while I'm looking at an image, it goes to the next image in the directory! Weird.

      - It lets you turn http referers off. Slashdot has absolutely no idea what page sent me here...

      - It has IRC built in. That's cool, but I don't use it much.

      - The mail client is the best I've ever seen. It's checks and sends from all 5 of my accounts, with Mailbox Oneness never before achieved by mortals.

      - The download manager is excellent. Quick-download is handy.

      - Literally every single part of the interface can be customized by editing the INI files. I've made mine look almost exactly like the KDE browser, Konqueror.

      - Pressing F12 lets me change my settings rapidly. You have to see this one to really like it. No more messy settings boxes. Sometimes you just want to turn javascript off for a few seconds.

      - Deleting cookies isn't a big deal. I click "Tools->Delete Private Data" and click okay. That clears history, cookies, etc all at once. Why can't Firefox do that?

      - It uses a *huge* amount of RAM. Right now it's using 51MB! This sounds bad until you try it; the speed is amazing. Firefox worrys too much about memory and runs slower as a result. Firefox isn't slow, it just isn't this fast.

      - I've tried lots of password-remembering thingies, but the Wand is the only one that's really appealed to me. I just press ctrl-enter and it fills forms in and submits them. It's great for things like forums, where I couldn't care less if my password is stored on my disk.

      - It can do cool tricks, like let you move tabs between windows. I hate tabs anyway, though, so I never use this. ; )

      - If you accidentally close a window, it keeps a list of recently closed windows, so you can reopen it! Very nice. What are the Firefox developers waiting for?

      - If Opera or Windows crashes, when you reload Opera, it can restore all your windows just the way they were. This is unspeakably cool.

      - One of my favorites is that it lets you associate letters with search engines. I type "g whatever I want" into the address bar, and it automatically searches Google. If I type "e something"' it searches eBay! Cool, eh? Who needs the Google bar? Actually, it has that too. It has search bars for 14 different engines.

      - It has support for user stylesheets. This is very impressive. I can't do it justice trying to explain it here. It's cool.

      - You can save "sessions" and open them up later...windows, settings, everything...perfectly intact.

      - Loading PDFs doesn't lock up Opera. Firefox literally becomes unresponsive.

      I could go on all day, but I won't. I just love really love this browser!

      That said, it takes some effort to get it configured so it doesn't suck, and is probably way beyond the masses. Firefox is halfway decent (but buggy...), and most people (read: "lusers") should be using that.

      Oh, and don't whine about gmail support. Opera supports Ajax fully, and there is no reason why gmail shouldn't work, and it used to. Blame google for forcing Opera users to use the crappy basic HTML interface. That's not Opera's fault.

    38. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Craig_P92669 · · Score: 1

      I don't have any problems with the way Firefox renders /. AMF it does a better job for me than IE does. The only issues I have with it is it would be nice to have a little bit more flexibility in button customization. And I sorely miss IE's 'Print Target' context menu option. As far as Opera goes, it was alway too difficult to deal with. Compound that with the fact you have to pay for that difficult time, it makes -free- options a lot more attractive.

      --
      http://xs4.xs.to/pics/04481/p556222.gif
    39. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by MynockGuano · · Score: 1

      Quote from the headline:
      from the all-nine-users-cheer dept.

      Reding is gud

    40. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by TheRunningBoard · · Score: 1

      So true.

    41. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My goodness, if it's anything like Opera 7 was, it doesn't even come close to proper rendering.

      I got real sick of it screwing up form elements, like setting every form element after a textarea to use white text. A DOM that was largely read-only also didn't help. Mail was real speedy with it, but the stability of mail was an absolute joke.

      Fast though. Not worth $40 kind of fast, however, since it's really just more of the same stuff for which firefox is more than good enough (and with extensions, then some).

    42. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Learn from the Smug Common Lisp Weenies: insinuating "X has had this long before Y" in order to promote the superiority of X ingratiates you to no one but other users of X. In fact it's merely annoying. Might be apropos on an Opera article, but just forget about it elsewhere. It's basically like going to an art show and muttering "derivative" at everything. They kick you out of galleries for that sort of thing.

    43. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by StupidKatz · · Score: 1

      drudgereport.com popups? Those are flash-based - if you don't want them, don't use flash.

      OR, you can install a tiny little plugin called "flash block", aka "flash click to view". My favorite.

      Wow, the more I read of your comment, the more your ignorance shows:

      - The rewind and back buttons have been buggy since version five. I've filed numerous bug reports, but they have been summarily dismissed. (They often "skipped" over pages in past history, making them disappear without a trace. Very annoying when dealing with forms.)

      - Numerous plugins block http referrers. My favorite is "tabbrowser extensions", but be aware the FF developers don't like it because it doesn't behave like a proper plugin.

      - Built-in crap is the reason Netscape and Mozilla are my least favorite browsers (aside from IE, of course). This applies to both IRC and email clients.

      - Nothing wrong with the stock download manager for FF. However, I prefer the "download statusbar" plugin.

      - Cookies? Forget messing with menus: "paranoia" plugin adds a button to the interface for this.

      - The FF interface (supposedly) can be customized to look like anything else. However, I couldn't care less about this, so have no references to respond with.

      - Numerous plugins let you repoen closed tabs. Again, I use "tabbrowser extensions" for this.

      - Numerous plugins save a history of your tabs so they can be restored in the event of a crash. Yet again, "tabbrowser extensions" has this feature - I don't even use it, tho.

      - Firefox stores passwords. I can't stand the idea of stored passwords, no matter how trivial. Yet, it can.

      What you got right:

      - The F12 settings thing is nice.

      - The search from the address bar thing. The only is listed as something you got right because it is rather difficult to get FF to STOP searching from the address bar! This is one "feature" I can't stand.

      - User style sheets have their place - however, highlighting the text or using "nuke anything" has always solved contrast issues for me within FF.

      - There is only one PDF issue I've found within FF: if the PDF is called from (commonly) a PHP script, so the data is loaded sans file extension, FF doesn't seem to know what to do. Other than that, slow response time is due to your system and Adobe's bloated Reader.

      I could go on all day, but I'm already late for an appointment.

    44. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by whitehatlurker · · Score: 1
      Amen!

      I think you missed the zoom feature, the voice command tool, email/USEnet interface, the full screen / presentation mode, enhanced navigation (uses "LINK REL" information), and a few other things. But who's counting? ;-)

      --
      .. paranoid crackpot leftover from the days of Amiga.
    45. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by aichpvee · · Score: 1

      Those assholes put spyware on top of the files they offer for download, so no.

      --
      The Farewell Tour II
    46. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, I'm wondering how much it crashes.

      Go to packages.debian.org in firefox. Hit Page Down twice. On my machine, the browser freezes.

      I'm on Debian stable and an SMP machine, and I'd be interested to know if "normal" people have this problem.

    47. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by nutshell42 · · Score: 1
      You're right, Firefox copied many of the features of Opera but most simply don't work as well as they do in Opera. Most of the stuff the tabbrowser extension does for example, Opera's cookie/session management is more robust and seems to fail less. Also Opera may ship with lots of stuff included but it's still smaller, takes less system memory (if you open lots of tabs, i.e. 25+, at least, I don't know how it is if you only work with 1 or 2), has less memory leaks, and is simply faster.

      Only problem: I *really, really, really* dislike the cookie management of Opera, so I use Mozilla instead (seems more stable than Firefox). I'd be grateful if someone could tell me whether they changed it for 8.0, thx.

      --
      Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage
    48. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Sleepy · · Score: 1

      Run Sqiud+adblock (search Freshmeat.net)

    49. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by toddestan · · Score: 2, Informative

      Doesn't Opera nail you with a godaweful banner ad at the top of the browser unless you pay for it? IMO that automatically makes it inferior to all the competition out ther.

      I haven't paid for Opera for Linux (bought version 7 for Windows before their 2 for 1 deal, or whatever they have been running recently). There is a small bar accross the top that displays Google ads, and the occasional plug for Opera software (all text only). I find it non-intrusive, and don't notice it most of the time. Older versions of Opera had an embedded banner ad on the top, which was pretty annoying, especially on a low resolution monitor.

      Quite frankly though, paying for Opera is worth every penny (IMHO).

    50. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Cygnus78 · · Score: 1

      you can install a tiny little plugin
      Numerous plugins block...
      "paranoia" plugin adds a button
      Numerous plugins let you...
      Numerous plugins save...
      I could go on all day...

      About Numerous plugins perhaps ? That's why I don't like firefox. I just want the things I need to be there. And if you don't need them don't use them. And my grandpa would definitely not want to look for plugins... just the word plugin is as foreign to him as some medical terms used in brain surgery. The opera way of including lot's of functionality also better guarantees the quality of the code as it comes from the same provider. Of course I can see that the plugins can be useful, but I don't have the energy for that.

    51. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      I know. And I was just confirming that Opera DOES, in fact, not have that problem.

    52. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then you are not the type to be using computers. Buy a Mac, and try not to strain yourself by pushing the power button.

    53. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by plenTpak · · Score: 1

      Opera supports Ajax fully, and there is no reason why gmail shouldn't work, and it used to. Blame google for forcing Opera users to use the crappy basic HTML interface. That's not Opera's fault.

      gmail's nifty interface works for me again, and it has for a while now. I'm using Opera 8 currently, Identifying as Opera (it worked in 8 beta, too). If that doesn't work, try using http://gmail.google.com/gmail?nocheckbrowser

    54. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by rainman_bc · · Score: 1

      And there it is! The Opera fanboy modding me down as a troll haha...

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      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    55. Re:The question every firefox user is asking by pohlman0 · · Score: 1

      http://www.monroeworld.com/operafilter/index.php

      Kind of a pain to use at first but after a few days of adding servers as I caught them I have never felt the need to fire it up again. It must work nicely because when I use someone else's machine I'm shocked at how many ads I see.

  3. Not being trollish, but... by tquinlan · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...how relevant is Opera really? The big news, of course, is Firefox. The last time I tried Opera (version 5), I was seriously disappointed, and it had all those annoying ads at the top. Why would anyone use this when they can get free browsers that are as good as, or better, without the adware? Plus, any features that Opera would have that might distinguish it (mouse gestures, I believe) very few people use.

    --
    DBA? Software Engineer? My company is hiring! Click
    1. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ahh, yes the old precede your troll with "Not being trollish, but..." in order to get under the radar. Nice work sir. /golf clap

    2. Re:Not being trollish, but... by dmolavi · · Score: 0

      Agreed...I've heard lots of hype about Opera, so I went and downloaded it, only to be assaulted by the banners and registration nags. Too bad no one has coded an AdBlock plugin for it yet ;)

    3. Re:Not being trollish, but... by slashzero · · Score: 2, Informative

      I use mouse gestures all the time... in Firefox.

    4. Re:Not being trollish, but... by AriesGeek · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Brand loyalty. It's strong with Opera. It's also the only reason I can think of.

      --
      Insert offensive troll-style sig here. Please mod or respond appropriately.
    5. Re:Not being trollish, but... by simetra · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I read a Slashdot article a while back saying there were 6 (?) Firefox developers, only one of which was active. Opera is an actual company with actual revenue and a commitment to their product.

      Having tried Firefox, and having used Opera for a long time, I can honestly say that yes, it is worth it to pay for a nice bundled browser package, even if you could jerry-rig a free browser to have most of the same functionality. I'm willing to bet that a few years from now, Opera will still be around. I have my doubts about Firefox.

      --

      "Would it kill you to put down the toilet seat?" -- Maya Angelou
    6. Re:Not being trollish, but... by FatAlb3rt · · Score: 1

      any features that Opera would have that might distinguish it

      they're installed by default in opera, easy to add on in ff.

      very few people use

      only because they haven't tried them. mouse gestures is one of the best features to come along in the last several years.

    7. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Once you get used to the mouse gestures, you end up trying to use them everywhere (file explorer for exemple).

      Other features I use all the time are the "disable CSS", "disable Java", "disable plug-ins" and "disable Javascript" options in the quick-access menu (F12). Stupid websites java menus (when simple CSS could do the job), or Flash all over the place, or javascript that messes with the status line (or, god forbid, have crap following my cursor) almost force me to use Opera.
      Give me the same features that Opera has in the F12 menu and the same mouse gestures in Firefox, and then *MAYBE* I'd switch.

      As for the ads, well... The browser HAS to get them somewhere... If you follow my drift. ;-)

      And Opera changed a LOT since version 5. You comment about "the last time you tried Opera" is akin to me telling your that "Linux still doesn't have a GUI"...

    8. Re:Not being trollish, but... by TheJavaGuy · · Score: 1
      The last time I tried Opera (version 5), I was seriously disappointed

      I think you may want to give another try. The is a substantial difference between 5 and 8.

      --
      Opera Watch - An Opera browser blog.
    9. Re:Not being trollish, but... by ExKoopaTroopa · · Score: 1

      Brand loyalty is stronger in people who have paid for something ;)

      --
      Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do!
    10. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Firefox will still be there, just like Linux will be. If you see what I mean.

    11. Re:Not being trollish, but... by MoonFog · · Score: 2, Informative

      What are you on? The first time you start it up it asks if you want google ads or generic ads. That's the only time you're ever nagged about the ads, you're certainly never "assaulted". I also have yet to even be asked about registration. Only "nagging" could be that under the help menu there's a "Register Opera". Apart from that, nothing.
      If you want adblocking, use a custom style sheet, not as good as adblock, but it can be done.

    12. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Firefox isn't big news. It's an overweight POS that people are already sick of. Opera is lightweight, stable, accurate, and very good on standards. Everyone I know who develops for the web uses Opera as their Browser of Choice.

    13. Re:Not being trollish, but... by bmw · · Score: 1

      Why would anyone use this when they can get free browsers that are as good as, or better, without the adware?

      I can give you one good reason: resource usage. Opera uses considerably less memory and CPU than firefox. I still tend to use firefox on any machine that can handle it but i am incredibly thankful to have Opera on some of my slower boxes; it really makes a huge difference.

    14. Re:Not being trollish, but... by MoonFog · · Score: 1

      Through extensions. Opera has a lot of things built in, with this release, even SVG support.

    15. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...how relevant is Opera really? The big news, of course, is Firefox. The last time I tried Opera (version 5),

      If your intent was not to troll, you did anyway (version 5 is really old), but I'll bite. If you haven't used Opera 7, you shouldn't be commenting on the relevance of Opera. Opera 7 is much faster than any other browser. Opera's MDI interface has always been superior to any other tab-browser implementation. The user-selectable CSS is nice. The fast-forward button (which will automatically find the "next" link in most documents such as search results or an article) is really really nice, and no other browser has implemented this feature. Based on features alone, Opera 7 is clearly the best browser available. It's only flaws may be in the rendering, but I am not familiar with how well it renders.

      That said, I use Firefox because I'm a open source zealot and a cheap bastard (that and I use too many different machines to have to buy multiple licenses). But I recognize that Opera is a quality product and superior in many ways. If version 8 renders as good as the other browsers, it will most likely be completely superior to all other browser products.

    16. Re:Not being trollish, but... by RichardX · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Only thing I miss from Opera in Firefox is the zoom. The Opera zoom is really nice.. it's like zooming a PDF (or.. well.. just about anything else with a proper zoom, really) - everything scales up together. Firefox just changes the font size.

      Does anyone know of a Firefox extension that can do this? I've tried Imagezoom, but it doesn't really work too well (particularly scrolling on large images), and anyways, it only zooms up the images seperately

      --
      Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.
    17. Re:Not being trollish, but... by nametaken · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Having tried Firefox, and having used Opera for a long time, I can honestly say that yes, it is worth it to pay for a nice bundled browser package, even if you could jerry-rig a free browser to have most of the same functionality. I'm willing to bet that a few years from now, Opera will still be around. I have my doubts about Firefox.

      Last I checked, Opera had about 1/23rd of FF's users. I dunno, maybe that's off... but I think Firefox has passed the flash-in-the-pan stage.

      As for the rest, I'm not trying to start a flamewar, but what does Opera have that I would really want in my Firefox? I mean, from your experience, what does Firefox really lack that makes a browser worth paying cash for?

    18. Re:Not being trollish, but... by dmolavi · · Score: 1

      hrmm..could be that it's installed on a PC in my office, where I have restricted rights, and have to install it to a network drive, and so some settings might not be saved. regardless, I'm planning on installing it on my home PC so that I know that my site renders properly in it. and plus, i'd rather give opera a few bucks for ad-free, monopoly-free software, than shell out loads of money to MS.

    19. Re:Not being trollish, but... by FinalCut · · Score: 3, Informative

      Can't you do all of that with firefox? I have the deverloper toolbar and the first dropdown menu is "disable" on it is "cache, cookies, image animations, images, java, javascript, page colors, popup blockers, referral logging, and styles (which is another submenu consisting of all styles, embedded styles, inline styles, linked style sheets, and an individual style sheet selector).
      https://addons.update.mozilla.org/exte nsions/morei nfo.php?application=firefox&category=Developer%20T ools&numpg=10&id=60

      you can also use mouse gestures with a FF extension:
      https://addons.update.mozilla.org/exte nsions/morei nfo.php?application=firefox&version=1.0&os=Windows &category=Navigation&numpg=10&id=39

      and finally, I don't get your drift on the broswer has to get the ads somewhere. What do you mean?

      My favorite feature of Opera is the preview in a mobile device option. Now that is handy (to me as a web developer).

    20. Re:Not being trollish, but... by FromFrom · · Score: 1

      Opera was there before Firefox and I used it then. The question thus becomes what does Firefox have that might me want to switch from Opera? And no the ads don't annoy me.

    21. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How relevant are Mac and Linux, really? I mean, the big thing is Windows and any features that Mac or Linux may have (stability, I believe) very few people use.

      Be serious. Software choices are a good thing.

      Also, Opera is probabl the best browser I ever used. The only problem with it is that so many pages are problematic about it's engine due to IE and it had trouble gettin over that hump. but I loved Opera. I wish it were more functional. I might take a look at the new version.

    22. Re:Not being trollish, but... by smittyoneeach · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Believe it or not, there are some people who like the idea of using non-MS products, and also like to pay a set amount of money up front, to establish a market.
      Opera needs an ad campaign featuring a giant viking woman in a horned helm and bullet-proof brassiere, surfing that internet cloud from slide #17 on a winged horse.
      The mist parts. Below, a large herd of "e" creatures on a hillside.
      She swoops down, and waves her axe. A large black rectangle appears on the ground adjacent the herd of "e"s. The upper left corner of the box has a grey "c:\welcome\to\troll\tuesday" printed. She waves the axe in a sweeping backhand, and the "e" creatures are flung into the black abyss. She hurls the axe at the X in the upper right corner of the grey rectangle. She smiles.

      (can anyone identify the powdery residue at the bottom of my coffee cup?)

      --
      Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
    23. Re:Not being trollish, but... by generic-man · · Score: 5, Insightful

      All the good features in Firefox (gestures, tabbed browsing) were around for a long time in Opera. Likewise, if you've ever used GMail, you have used an imitation of Opera's M2 mail client. Opera still does many things far better than Firefox (zoom, quick-change with the F12 menu) and you don't have to download a zillion extensions to match Opera's sub-10MB download.

      Opera is an innovative company that puts out an outstanding and lightweight product. Google and the Firefox team have a lot to thank Opera for.

      --
      For more information, click here.
    24. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Opera has solid tabbed browsing right out of the box that doesn't rely on getting the right combination of buggy extensions. It has completely customizable menus without needing to program an extension. Opera has never gotten hosed and required me to delete my profile to get it to start up properly again.

    25. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It rocks man. Try it, best teacher there is: The University of life!

      FireFox is great too, especially because of the User-Driven development in plugins... but too many of those, or inefficient ones? Watch the SLOW loadtime of FireFox...

      I use both here is why I can state that. Both great, far better than IE as it is now, even the Windows Server 2003 version, imo & for my use patterns @ home (vs. on the job) personally.

      Opera's still quicker, & seems better accessing things like GMail (well, before they added ActiveX use to gmail, demanding it now, where it wasn't there a few days ago) even! :)

      APK

      P.S.=> The recent online tests I have seen this year for browser SPEED & EFFICIENCY? Show Opera still ontop... not knocking FireFox, I'm not, but speaking as a "purist" that likes FAST "hotrod" code (Opera afaik, done in pure C, or it used to be which is faster than C++ since not as much messagepassing overhead or bloat of objects)? Opera rules the roost, even now... especially in the area of speed & in-memory efficiency. Open Taskmgr.exe & see the Memory/VM use patterns of Opera vs. FireFox (even with mail stripped out) & Opera wins here too... not just speed! apk

    26. Re:Not being trollish, but... by generic-man · · Score: 1

      Opera has all these features and still manages to be smaller and faster than Firefox+WebDeveloperExtension+GesturesExtension+wh ateverExtension.

      --
      For more information, click here.
    27. Re:Not being trollish, but... by PJBonoVox · · Score: 1

      ...what does Firefox really lack that makes a browser worth paying cash for?

      A built in and 100% accurate pr0n search tool.

    28. Re:Not being trollish, but... by vincey37 · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I have a number of old computers around I still like to use, and Firefox just doesn't cut it for speed or footprint.

      At 100Mhz, the Mozilla series of browsers lags when simply typing in a text box, because of the non native widgets I suppose. Obviously, this is unacceptable when I can type as fast as I want in other browsers without issue. Firefox also gets a bit tight running more than one tab in 32MB.

      On the other hand, Opera 8 is amazingly fast. It easily makes a 300Mhz PII feel like a 500Mhz+ running Firefox. Also, the new interface is very compact when registered, and even the text ads in the free version are rather slim.

      Does any of this make a difference on a P4 with 256+MB of memory and a 1280 or higher resolution? Probably not. But slow computers is a niche Opera serves very well.

    29. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting
      "As for the rest, I'm not trying to start a flamewar, but what does Opera have that I would really want in my Firefox? I mean, from your experience, what does Firefox really lack that makes a browser worth paying cash for?"
      Tiny download size, yet filled up with useful features that are actually smoothly integrated and work together in a coherent manner, rather than being tacked onto the browser. When upgrading, everything keeps working, and I know that the whole thing is thoroughly tested, whereas Firefox extensions do not undergo rigorous QA.

      With Opera, you have most of what you need at your finger tips with no extension hell, and with a tiny download which has an excellent security record (currently, it has no unpatched vulnerabilities, while Firefox does).

    30. Re:Not being trollish, but... by bunratty · · Score: 3, Informative

      You're referring to developers who are working on the Firefox user interface. Most of Firefox is the Gecko core that's shared with Thunderbird, the Suite, Camino, etc. There are more than ten full-time active developers who work on various parts of Firefox (several of whom work at other companies such as Red Hat), plus hundreds of part-time volunteer developers.

      --
      What a fool believes, he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.
    31. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The sad truth is, Opera would be the best browser out there if it didn't have java/javascript issues. It is 100% customizable. Firefox doesn't even come close. I hope they have things worked out for 8-0.

    32. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      If Opera goes under, their browser goes *poof* and no more updates. Firefox is OS, so if all developement stops... hell, I'll pick it back up myself.

      While I'm not especially concerned about Mozilla's survival, the fact that some random Slashbot is promising to save it isn't the utmost in reassurance.

      More to the point, if Mozilla disappears, I can switch to Opera then! It hardly seems like something I need to make contingency plans for.

    33. Re:Not being trollish, but... by psavo · · Score: 2, Informative

      I use mouse gestures all the time... in Firefox.

      Yes, and so do I. However, I suggest trying them in Opera, the whole feeling and responsiveness is like from another planet. On firefox they're sluggish and lag, Opera responds now.

      There's also bunch of other little things that matter. Like going back/forward in history with Z/X, fast tab-switching with 1/2. The whole F12 menu with possibility to turn plug-ins off.

      And then there's 'space' which is 'smart-forward' and is a real life-saver with those image-dumps.

      Unfortunately not everything is good, adblock is completely missing, and is sofar opera's biggest failure.

      --
      fucktard is a tenderhearted description
    34. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Mr_Silver · · Score: 1
      Having tried Firefox, and having used Opera for a long time, I can honestly say that yes, it is worth it to pay for a nice bundled browser package, even if you could jerry-rig a free browser to have most of the same functionality. I'm willing to bet that a few years from now, Opera will still be around. I have my doubts about Firefox.

      Someone once described Opera to me as "Firefox, but will all the extensions you'd want bundled in so you don't have to faff around with installing them ... and with a smaller download".

      As much as I like the extension ideas:

      • I still find it odd that a DOM inspector comes bundled with the package but not something way more benificial like AdBlock.
      • It would be nice if you could select some extensions as part of the install process and it would go off, download and install them for you ready to be used.
      • I find it really annoying that I have to install simple extensions for stupid things that really should be part of the base functionality. For example, I have to install an extension (miniT) and then edit a config file so that tabs opened by ctrl-click are opened to the right of my active one, rather than right at the very end of my currently open tabs.
      I may look at Opera, but having put so much work into getting Firefox the way I like it, I'm somewhat reluctant.
      --
      Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
    35. Re:Not being trollish, but... by PJBonoVox · · Score: 1

      Everyone I know who develops for the web uses Opera as their Browser of Choice.

      *Counts on one finger*

    36. Re:Not being trollish, but... by HerbieStone · · Score: 1
      I agree that a dedicated team of paied professionals will produce a better polished application in a shorter time than some oss-developers who have to work in their spare time.

      But assuming that Closed-Sourced Products have a more longevity is something you got to explain to me. OSS will continue to evolve as long as *someone* is wiling to pick it up and programm some more on it.
      Updates to Closed-Sourced Software will vanish as soon as the business holding the IP sees no more need make them.

    37. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't make any difference to me, it takes me all of a minute to install any extensions I'd like to use. Not to mention FireFox has far more useful extensions available than Opera.

    38. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please. I know two web developers. Are you saying that's a coincidence? :)

    39. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Varitek · · Score: 2, Insightful
      ...how relevant is Opera really? The big news, of course, is Firefox.


      The three main reasons I use Opera rather than Firefox are

      o Firefox is a dog on my machine, whereas Opera is *really* fast

      o Firefox is a dog on my machine, whereas Opera is *really* fast

      o Firefox is a dog on my machine, whereas Opera is *really* fast

    40. Re:Not being trollish, but... by kkumer · · Score: 1
      Well, main main machine is Pentium 200 MMX, 96 MB RAM, and there Opera is really the only option. On other faster machines that I occasionally use, I must admit I switched to Firefox.

      It's a pity that transfer of bookmarks is not trivial. For me bk_edit was big help there.

      And yes, if you are not using mouse gestures you're missing a lot.

    41. Re:Not being trollish, but... by zxSpectrum · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As for the rest, I'm not trying to start a flamewar, but what does Opera have that I would really want in my Firefox? I mean, from your experience, what does Firefox really lack that makes a browser worth paying cash for?

      One thing: Extended Rendering Architecture. No matter how clueless a web master is, there is an easy way to make sites readable in Opera. Does the duhveloper insist on you using a 16384px-wide display? No problem. Fit-To-Width will resize it for you. Do you prefer to have a website running in a 200px strip to the right of the screen while you have a text editor that fills the rest? No problem. Enable small-screen rendering.

      (And before anyone mentions SSRXPI and Daniel Glazman's SSR stylesheet: No, SSR in Opera does more than a stylesheet is capable of)

    42. Re:Not being trollish, but... by CowboyMeal · · Score: 1

      Opera's still quicker, & seems better accessing things like GMail (well, before they added ActiveX use to gmail, demanding it now, where it wasn't there a few days ago) even! :)

      Try "Identify as Opera" instead of IE, and it won't complain about ActiveX.

      --
      Your credit card information wants to be free.
    43. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Back/forward performance?

    44. Re:Not being trollish, but... by myspys · · Score: 2, Insightful

      what about a browser that "just works"?

      i've used firefox but it just feels sluggish, even with the tuning programs (why is that even needed?)

      and it crashes

      and just feels like.. a beta

    45. Re:Not being trollish, but... by n0-0p · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Actually, Opera has SVG Tiny profile support. It's ported from their cell phone browser and it's a long way the SVG complete profile that Mozilla is shooting for. Also, Firefox 1.1 will ship with SVG support in June, though most of the animation features are not yet available.

      As for Opera having functionality built-in, it's really just a difference of approach. Opera gives you everything and you can shut off what you don't want. Firefox gives you the basics and a simple extension system to add any extras. I prefer the Firefox approach because I already spend enough time minimizing systems. I can easily see how one could prefer the Opera approach, however.

    46. Re:Not being trollish, but... by nametaken · · Score: 1

      Tiny download size, yet filled up with useful features that are actually smoothly integrated and work together in a coherent manner, rather than being tacked onto the browser.

      So none of these features are optional? That would be a turn-off for me, I think.

      I've never had a problem with upgrading firefox, but quite possibly I can thank package maintainers for that.

      As for the dependancy hell, I have to say, I've never hunted down a dependancy for anything in firefox. Perhaps that has to do with which extensions I have.

      I think I'd consider trying Opera out if it was free (as in beer) and I wasn't hearing how bad the ad-blocking is.

    47. Re:Not being trollish, but... by ergo98 · · Score: 1

      Indeed, mouse gestures are addictive. However you don't need to be limited to just your browser (whether Opera or Firefox with the mouse gesture support) - I use the unfortunately named StrokeIt (I presume originally named so someone could have one hand...busy...while navigating with the other), giving me OS-wide mouse gesture support. I love it.

    48. Re:Not being trollish, but... by mattyrobinson69 · · Score: 1

      i think opera is by far the best browser on the market (for me anyway). It has text ads (google adwords) now anyway and theyre smaller than they used to be.

    49. Re:Not being trollish, but... by generic-man · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Opera: Download a 5MB program, don't use features you don't like.

      Firefox: Download a 5MB program, download a 500KB extension, install, restart, download a 1MB extension, install, restart, download security update for extension 1, install, restart, lather, rinse, repeat.

      Opera is better. Besides, I never trust Adblockers: they too often (read: more than zero times) throw out the baby with the bathwater. With an adblocker, you would never see any photos from my local newspaper.

      --
      For more information, click here.
    50. Re:Not being trollish, but... by masklinn · · Score: 1

      Opera 7.x were good browsers, having tested Opera 8 beta it's a really good one, close to or better than Firefox in terms of standard compliancy, still a bit weak on the JS side and no XML parser, but... oh well...

      I consider it being a really good browser, and usually tell people to try either Firefox or Opera instead of MSIE.

      --
      "The way we can tell it's C# instead of Haskell is because it's nine lines instead of two." -- wadler
    51. Re:Not being trollish, but... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      You don't have to go to sixteen download sites with 120-character URLs to get the stuff. It's all there already, hit F12.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    52. Re:Not being trollish, but... by n0-0p · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Believe it or not, there are some people who like the idea of using non-MS products, and also like to pay a set amount of money up front, to establish a market.

      I realize it's not a fixed price, but I donate annually to the Mozilla foundation for the same reason. Honestly my donation to MoFo is more than Opera would cost me, but I consider it a genuinely usefull charity and a little extra tax writeoff is fine by me. Hell, even my parents donate to MoFo because I suggested they do so if they find the software useful enough.

    53. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jtara · · Score: 1

      While Opera may be an "actual company" with "actual revenues" and more than 6 developers, they haven't managed to arrange for a website that is slashdot-proof.

    54. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Having tried Firefox, and having used Opera for a long time, I'd definitely stay with Firefox. Besides, I know of very few people who use Opera, while almost everyone I know uses Firefox or IE (yuck), or even Mozilla.
      As for me, I will NOT switch to Opera.

    55. Re:Not being trollish, but... by elcid73 · · Score: 1

      Opera has been around for over 10 years now.. and they are growing.

    56. Re:Not being trollish, but... by nametaken · · Score: 1


      Hm, I don't tend to frequent sites that go that far out of whack... but the small-screen rendering sounds like it could be handy on the laptop (800x600). I'm not sure if that justifies buying a browser (something I've never done) for $40.

    57. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Kosi · · Score: 1

      identify the powdery residue at the bottom of my coffee cup

      Phencyclidine?

    58. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Linux has a GUI now? Did they fix the 1MB limit yet?

    59. Re:Not being trollish, but... by m50d · · Score: 1

      Because for many of us the free browsers are worse. Even with the ad, opera manages (to me) to have a much more efficient UI and actually devote more screen real estate to the website itself. And performance-wise it zooms, especially compared to firefox. (The recent browser benchmarks back me up on this). To me the greater usability makes it worth my while having the ad.

      --
      I am trolling
    60. Re:Not being trollish, but... by nametaken · · Score: 1


      I've never had a problem with any of my plugins, and they get updated in two clicks.

      I've never had a problem with getting the content I wanted with adblockers on. The one inconvenience I do have is that my flashblock requires me to manually start any flash on a page, but that's kinda the point.

      And if it did block my the rare site's content, I'd consider it net gain considering all the crap I DID want to block.

      I'm not trashing Opera, I've never been compelled to try it, I'm just curious about what I might be missing.

    61. Re:Not being trollish, but... by luna69 · · Score: 1

      > what does Firefox really lack that makes a browser
      > worth paying cash for?

      Tabbed browsing that works the way I expect/need. Features that aren't buggy as hell, a la Firefox. Multiline, expandable links toolbar that can also hold drop-down folders. Better ability to customize the interface than Firefox. Ultrafast rendering. Loads of features built in to the tiny download that have to be downloaded separately from unknown, untrusted sources for Firefox, and which may or may not work properly once acquired.

      I'm glad that Firefox exists, and I'm glad it's taking share away from M$. But Opera meets the same needs in a different - and, for me, better - way.

      I was eager to give them my money.

      --
      No gods, no demons, and no masters. Secular Humanism!
    62. Re:Not being trollish, but... by elcid73 · · Score: 1

      You're jealous. Firefox is a decent product- but the problems with 3rd party extenions (21 different, poorly described tabbed browsing extensions) that break every time I install a newer version. This is described in-depth all over this thread. Mouse gestures are responsive and tightly integrated as are all the other features- the mail client is pretty analagous to the gmail interface, but better. Where is the bloat? As is also stated everywhere- it's much smaller download than the bare bones-barrio stripped out version of FF, and it does have all these features. Paid Browser? Why not- I don't see websites (fark.com) hosting "gimp" contests? You'll (geek community) pay for photoshop but gimp isn't all that prevelant? Why not? What is so evil about buying software? You can get a free version- I feel in love with the advert version of 6.X and used/advocated through version 7.5X when I finally paid for it (happily)- why because I want to foster the innovation of this company. Sure you can download the plugin for FF- but that's likely a copied feature from Opera (note- there are some killer extension I like in FF that WISH Opera would impliment- but only two really- so the innovation goes both ways) Finally- Basing your opinion on version 5 is ignorant. Yes, there can be (is) quite a difference.

    63. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      "Opera would be the best browser out there if it didn't have java/javascript issues."
      All browsers have bugs, including Opera and Firefox. Opera's JavaScript support isn't any worse than anything else. And Java and JavaScript are two completely different things, by the way.

      If you want the real truth behind Opera's so-called "JavaScript issues", read this:

      http://my.opera.com/haavard/journal/36

    64. Re:Not being trollish, but... by luna69 · · Score: 1

      > more than ten full-time active developers who work
      > on various parts of Firefox (several of whom work at
      > other companies such as Red Hat)

      If they also work at RedHat, then they're not "full time".

      I'm just sayin'.

      --
      No gods, no demons, and no masters. Secular Humanism!
    65. Re:Not being trollish, but... by mattyrobinson69 · · Score: 1

      Alternatively enable pop3 from gmail and use opera's M2

    66. Re:Not being trollish, but... by elcid73 · · Score: 1

      You're jealous. Firefox is a decent product- but the problems with 3rd party extenions (21 different, poorly described tabbed browsing extensions) that break every time I install a newer version are too much for me. This is described in-depth all over this thread. I don't know which is the best version of tabbed browsing extension to use and what the feature set is, and I don't want to take the time to learn

      Mouse gestures are responsive and tightly integrated as are all the other features- the mail client is pretty analagous to the gmail interface, but better.

      Where is the bloat? As is also stated everywhere- it's much smaller download than the bare bones-barrio stripped out version of FF, and it does have all these features.

      Paid Browser? Why not- I don't see websites (fark.com) hosting "gimp" contests? You'll (geek community) pay for photoshop but gimp isn't all that prevelant? Why not? What is so evil about buying software? You can get a free version- I feel in love with the advert version of 6.X and used/advocated through version 7.5X when I finally paid for it (happily)- why because I want to foster the innovation of this company. Sure you can download the plugin for FF- but that's likely a copied feature from Opera (note- there are some killer extension I like in FF that WISH Opera would impliment- but only two really- so the innovation goes both ways)

      Finally- Basing your opinion on version 5 is ignorant. Yes, there can be (is) quite a difference.

    67. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Opera has all these features and still manages to be smaller and faster than Firefox

      That's because it leaves out small things like proper CSS proper, half of DOM and support for various other W3C standards. I could write a faster browser than Opera if it only dealt with HTML 2

    68. Re:Not being trollish, but... by LnxAddct · · Score: 1

      Err actually firefox devotes more screen space to viewing web pages then any other browser. Opera clutters it up with ads and a whole bunch of functionality and buttons that I'll never use or need in a web browser. Opera loads faster, but I do believe firefox is more responsive once it loads. The best thing about firefox is its simplicity, I'm looking at 5 buttons right now (Back, Foward, Reload, Stop, Home) and that's all I should ever have to look at.
      Regards,
      Steve

    69. Re:Not being trollish, but... by bunratty · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They don't "also" work at Red Hat. Their job at Red Hat is to work on Firefox. Google recently hired two top Firefox developers, too, and IBM just posted a job offer for a Firefox developer.

      --
      What a fool believes, he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.
    70. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Actually, Opera Software - like Mozilla Foundation - doesn't support adblocking.

      However there are numerous third party solutions, including one that uses User js(new in O8) + User CSS + some scripts or c++ that gives an AdBlock like experiance (i.e. right click + block whatever).

      And there is still my favorite for all browsers, Proxomitron.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    71. Re:Not being trollish, but... by masklinn · · Score: 1

      Well he precised "everyone I know", and he's mostly right, quite a lot of devs use Opera (the ones who have yet to switch to Apple, that is).

      Opera IS a good browser. I prefer Firefox, but although it has a quite small userbase Opera is both very nice on standards compliancy (especially with 7.x and the just released 8.0) and on features, and awfully lightweight.

      --
      "The way we can tell it's C# instead of Haskell is because it's nine lines instead of two." -- wadler
    72. Re:Not being trollish, but... by luna69 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      > Besides, I know of very few people who use Opera,
      > while almost everyone I know uses Firefox

      Hmm. I know of very few people who use X while almost everyone I know uses Y...if this is logically valid, shouldn't we all still be using IE?

      --
      No gods, no demons, and no masters. Secular Humanism!
    73. Re:Not being trollish, but... by elcid73 · · Score: 1

      If you try Opera- you'll have very little work getting it to the way you like it- then you can save the menus and toolbar, search engines, and much more- and just move them into another direcotry if you upgrade

    74. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      First, there are adblockers that work with Opera. Proxomitron and AdMuncher being two biggies.

      Second, with User JS, some enterprising users have come up with some C++, js and css that gives them something much like the AdBlock extension for Opera 8.

      This idea that Opera is less than FF because the company doesn't support adblocking is somewhat asinine, as neither does Mozilla Foundation.

      Also, Slashdot seems to have taken down opera.com - a feat.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    75. Re:Not being trollish, but... by PJBonoVox · · Score: 1

      I was just highlighting the fact that not everyones experience is the same.

      I know a lot of devs (application and web), lots of sysadmins and lots of power-users.

      Not a single one uses Opera.

    76. Re:Not being trollish, but... by zxSpectrum · · Score: 4, Informative

      There are lots of more compelling features. That was just one

      • User Javascript. While it has similarities with GreaseMonkey, it can also do a great deal more, since it intercepts at a different level than GM, and it is fully integrated into Opera
      • Mouse gestures are way smoother and better than any Firefox extensions. They react when you use them, instead of 1/10 seconds after
      • Instant back/forward: Instead of refetching the document from the disk cache or the server, it gets the page instantly from the memory cache
      • Mail: If you get used to the Opera mail client, there is no turning back. I handle rather insane amounts of mail, and I never spend time organizing my mail. Opera does that already.
      • Newsfeeds. Unlike the reader built into Firefox: Opera's allow you to read full-text context of feeds that provide it
      • Easy built-in access for disabling plugins, sound in web pages, animated images, Java
      • Session saving: Do you have 1534 sites open, and need to continue later? Save the session and start where you left off

      I could go on a lot longer, but these are some of the features that Firefox doesn't do properly, even with extensions that attempt to do (some of) the same.

    77. Re:Not being trollish, but... by PigBoyOhBoy · · Score: 1
      The last time I tried Opera (version 5), I was seriously disappointed

      I know others have said this already, but I have to add my voice: Opera became a contender with version 7, and now with version 8 it is a very polished product. I purchased a license well over a year ago and have never regretted it.

      Having said that, I also use FF for those sites (mainly Google beta sites) that require it, and even IE when the html coding is brutally stupid. But for 99% of the sites out there, Opera is wonderful.

      I discovered Opera when a visitor to one of my web sites complained: "it doesn't work in Opera". That was when I discovered that "doesn't work in Opera" usually means I've coded something that caters specifically to a quirk or MS extension to HTML/Javascript. Which is why you will find many HTML authors use Opera for routine testing.

      As far as comparing it with FF goes, I like FF and respect what they have done. I installed it for my wife (who can't cope well with change) and she transitioned to it from IE without any problem. But for myself, I find that using Opera is like driving a very fine, high performance sports car. FF is like driving a Prius: intellectually and morally satisfying but lacking in zip. If you live many hours a day in web browser land, Opera makes the experience very, very pleasant.

    78. Re:Not being trollish, but... by luna69 · · Score: 1

      > 'm looking at 5 buttons right now (Back, Foward,
      > Reload, Stop, Home) and that's all I should ever
      > have to look at.

      Fine. You can make Opera do that (and just about anything else you could ask for in a UI) in seconds. Moreover, when you DO decide you want some other functionality, it's yours with a few clicks (right click on some UI element, select 'customize...') instead of a nightmare of plugin downloading & crashing & testing.

      --
      No gods, no demons, and no masters. Secular Humanism!
    79. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 2, Informative

      You also miss the new features like User js, ERA, SVG Tiny support, and on windows 2k+ (and I assume soon on phones) the voice control and reading.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    80. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Linux has a GUI?

    81. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      my example was theoretical. I don't think either will disapear anytime soon.

    82. Re:Not being trollish, but... by nametaken · · Score: 1

      Features that aren't buggy as hell, a la Firefox.

      Like? I just haven't had anything, base install or extension, b0rk out on me yet.

      Multiline, expandable links toolbar that can also hold drop-down folders.

      I have folders and subfolders in my links toolbar, and it wasn't provided by any of my extensions. Is that what you meant? AFAIK, it won't go multiline though... that would be nice on a machine with more display realestate.

      As for the extensions I have, they're limited to the most common ones, which don't come from untrusted sources. All of them are tried and true. I also like that I choose which ones I want, instead of just having a bunch chosen for me. That's just a plus for me, not a minus. I would like to see the more advanced adblocking built in by default though.

      The other feature in Opera I'm interested in is the resizing. As I said in another post though, I'm not sure I can justify $40 for that.

    83. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      What were the reasons?

      A specific extension, the license?

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    84. Re:Not being trollish, but... by The+Original+Yama · · Score: 1

      I hate to say it, but Opera feels like a bloated mess. There are far too many buttons and options. Firefox (and even Galeon for that matter) gives a much cleaner look. For newbies this presents a less confusing interface, for power users it presents a minimalist interface that doesn't get in the way of browsing. If you want another feature in Firefox (like mouse gestures), you can add an extension. Opera throws in everything including the kitchen sink and looks messy as a result.

    85. Re:Not being trollish, but... by traabil · · Score: 1

      ...how relevant is Windows really? The big news, of course, is Linux. The last time I tried Windows (version 3.1), I was seriously disappointed, and it had all those annoying icons at the bottom. Why would anyone use this when they can get free OSes that are as good as, or better, without the Program Manager? Plus, any features that Windows would have that might distinguish it (window switching, I believe) very few people use.

    86. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Rits · · Score: 1

      It is not exactly a trivial task to run a project like Firefox and ensure professional releases. So much so, that MoFo can't manage doing that for both Firefox and MozillaSuite, so the latter gets dropped.

      Having the source is nice for a few geeks, but producing quality products that can be used by millions of normal computer users requires a professional organization. It's great MoFo manages to do this right now for Firefox, but there is no garantee this will still be the case in, say, 5 or 10 years.

      --
      If you don't like having choices made for you, you should start making your own. - Neal Stephenson
    87. Re:Not being trollish, but... by elcid73 · · Score: 1

      True- and I wouldn't be concerned about FF- but we'll all agree that FF is not really exciting without extensions- and those extensions are where I get frustrated with the lack of support and compatability. What if someone doesn't want to pick up my favorite extension? Then I have to do it? --I don't want to.

    88. Re:Not being trollish, but... by peeon · · Score: 1

      More features.

    89. Re:Not being trollish, but... by The+Original+Yama · · Score: 1
      Once you get used to the mouse gestures, you end up trying to use them everywhere (file explorer for exemple).

      Konqueror handles this brilliantly, in Web browsing and file management modes (and probably other modes as well).
    90. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't know what you are talking about. Opera supports plenty of CSS/DOM/etc that Firefox doesn't.

      For example, CSS counters and outlines, aural CSS, print CSS, DOM 3 Load & Save, SVG Tiny, VoiceXML.

      BTW, I'm a Firefox user. I just don't like to spread lies about competing browsers.

    91. Re:Not being trollish, but... by LnxAddct · · Score: 1

      You can also easily expand Firefox's functionality. You've obviously not used it extensivley enough to comment on it, or at least not recently. I've used both browsers pretty extensively when evaluating which one our firm would migrate too. I chose Firefox for a number of reasons including its stability and simplicity. Opera is nice but its for a completely different kind of user that has its own niche market. A "newbie" would get lost in Opera very quickly.
      Regards,
      Steve

    92. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if you've ever used GMail, you have used an imitation of Opera's M2 mail client.

      Huh? What does M2 do that isn't an imitation of other mail clients?

    93. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Rits · · Score: 2, Insightful
      .. but Opera feels like a bloated mess. There are far too many buttons and options ..


      So you didn't actually try Opera 8. The UI has been simplified, the default install now has less buttons and menu items than Firefox....
      --
      If you don't like having choices made for you, you should start making your own. - Neal Stephenson
    94. Re:Not being trollish, but... by The+Original+Yama · · Score: 1

      If you want speed, you should try other Gecko (Mozilla) based browsers, like Galeon, Epiphany and Camino. The KHTML based browsers (like Konqueror and Safari) are great as well.

    95. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FWIW, the equivalent to user js in Firefox is Greasemonkey.

    96. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's official: Opera users don't have many friends.

    97. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Utoxin · · Score: 1

      Actually, ColorZilla has a good zoom function, suprisingly. I've used it on a few occasions. Not sure if it's what you're looking for but I reccomend at least giving it a look.

      --
      Matthew Walker
      http://www.tweeterdiet.com/ - My Diet Tracking Tool
    98. Re:Not being trollish, but... by emarkp · · Score: 1
      Yes, you are being trollish. Opera is a great product, and I'm happy to use it. You don't want to use it? Fine.

      Things in Opera that I prefer over Firefox:

      • Actual MDI support. Multiple windows each with multiple tabs. And if you close Opera, you can reopen with all your windows each with their tabs.
      • Keystrokes that work. 1/2 for prev/next window, 0/9 for zoom in/zoom out, . and / to search, and many more.
      • Zoom that zooms the entire page--text and images, instead of just text. Firefox zooming tends to turn pages into a narrow strip of large text in the middle.
      • A download manager that works far better than Firefox's.
      • All that in a 3MB package that doesn't make me go hunting around for this extension or that extension.

      I'm kind of stunned that you're judging Opera based on a version several years old. Do you judge Firefox based on version 0.2? Opera 6 was the first version I used. Version 7 was a jump ahead of that. I've been using the beta 8 version for a while and I'm now using the 8 final. It rocks.

    99. Re:Not being trollish, but... by FinalCut · · Score: 1

      your right, opera does have those features. However, I was responding to someone who said, "IF FireFox had these features..."

      I wasn't trying to bash Opera or give undue props to Firefox - I was just answering an inferred question.

      It really is OK to like both browsers isn't it?

    100. Re:Not being trollish, but... by elcid73 · · Score: 1

      I know- but to your real point: FF will press on I'm sure- but I'm not so sure about my favorite extensions- since there are so many doing essentially the same thing (tabbed browsing for example) the odds are you'll get used to one only to have something else get progagated on, grow and recieve updates. You may be willing to work on an extension- but not everyone (me) is. That's why I like Opera.

    101. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Ulath · · Score: 1

      To me: Very.

      I've tried to use FF as my primary browser, and found it slow and laggy, as someone noted the gestures in FF are slow and sometimes fail to respond at all, where as opera is instant and accurtate. Speed is pretty much the only reason I use it, but its a big one.

      Personally I would prefer to use an Open Source client, but not at the expense of my productivity.

    102. Re:Not being trollish, but... by FinalCut · · Score: 1

      Thanks for repeating the parent that I replied to. If you READ his/her post you will see it was said, "if firefox can do ... [x and y] then maybe I would switch".

      So, in an effort to provide some information to said Parent and not to start a "war thread" I responded.

      I'm glad you are happy with Opera. I don't want you to switch to another browser - nor do I want the parent to switch.

      I'm glad there are options in the browser market. That's why I replied so that parent would know that FireFox was a viable option for what he wanted.

      Don't hate me for liking both browsers - I guess I'm just a fence sitter.

    103. Re:Not being trollish, but... by FuzzyBad-Mofo · · Score: 1

      I like Opera and all, but the F12 menu really isn't comparable to the infinitely flexible Gecko plugin system. And while it's nice to have those F12 options, I would like to see a little finer control, like Firefox's advanced Javascript and Cookie settings. (Is there "Reject Cookies from 3rd party" in Opera?)

    104. Re:Not being trollish, but... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1
      Sure there is. It's been there for years. It's not on the F12 menu, as it's not something you really need to change on the fly.

      The "infinitely flexible Gecko plugin system" takes far too much work and customization. But hey, if you like tinkering with the browser instead of getting work done with the browser, who am I to disagree? You've got different priorities. I don't regard my browser as a toy to play with or a hotrod to tune and buy spoilers for.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    105. Re:Not being trollish, but... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      F11.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    106. Re:Not being trollish, but... by luna69 · · Score: 1

      > You've obviously not used it extensivley enough to
      > comment on it

      Why be snarky?

      Really, you think I've not used it? I'm a web developer, and I use it for testing regularly. And because I use it, I feel qualified to comment on it, and the need to download a series of buggy plugins to get it to do what I want it to, rather than Opera, which just works.

      Cheers.

      --
      No gods, no demons, and no masters. Secular Humanism!
    107. Re:Not being trollish, but... by ergean · · Score: 1

      Yes some times Firefox feels sluggish, but never ever crashed on any of my computers, in none of the OS I use (windows, linux).

      And dosn't seem like a beta to me, not even when it was named Pheonix.

      The only real complain I have to Firefox is the fact that sometimes ocupies to much memory for my taste.

      As for Opera, I like it, but it gets anoying when I close some of the tabs, and I can't predict 100% what tab is going to show up next. I've tried all the settings, but it seems to get worse.

    108. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Well, you can try/use it for free with either a small strip of google ads or a slightly large generic ad banner.

      And, if you're a student you can get academic pricing.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    109. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Actually it's very consistent. Not necessarily intuitave when you think about it like tabs, but quite intuative when you think of it like windows.

      When you close one MDI window, the next highest one shows up (the one you accessed before the one you are closing). Just like in any window manager I've ever used.

      O8 has some new tab handling options, I'm not sure whether that affects the issue or not.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    110. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only thing I miss in firefox is the ability to do slideshow.

    111. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Clearly you haven't used the Adblock extension recently. You set the filters, so what is there not to trust? Sorry, but if it blocks your local newspaper's pictures, its probably your own fault.

      As for not using features in Opera that I don't like, I'd really not have all that clutter. But each to their own.

    112. Re:Not being trollish, but... by theTerribleRobbo · · Score: 1

      Besides, I never trust Adblockers: they too often (read: more than zero times) throw out the baby with the bathwater. With an adblocker, you would never see any photos from my local newspaper.

      Considering the Adblock plugin for Firefox supports wildcards, it's damn easy to block, say, http://dinkynewspaper.com/images/ad*, or however it's set up.

      I'm hoping they'll put in regex support, if it isn't in there already.

    113. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My one use for Opera that no other Linux browser has, that I know of (apologies in advance if my knowledge is out of date):

      It will identify as IE if you want.

      Some of my banking sites check for IE at login and won't proceed if you don't have it. Opera allows me to stay away from Windows and still do everything I need to on the Internet.

    114. Re:Not being trollish, but... by generic-man · · Score: 1

      M2 was built for searching: it stores all your mail in a centralized database and eschews folders in favor of "access points" (essentially queries that you run against the database). It creates access points for contacts, threads, mailing lists, and date ranges automatically. It also supports labels for tagging messages. In other words, GMail took the idea and implemented it as a web application.

      Of course, for this reason M2 is a POP-centric mail client. Dumping all your IMAP folders into a single database makes things quite unwieldy.

      --
      For more information, click here.
    115. Re:Not being trollish, but... by siphi · · Score: 0

      Oh yeah, I'm sorry... 8.8megs for firefox with just basics. 3.6megs for opera with everything included??? (excluding voice, but firefox doiesn't even have that)

      --
      Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
    116. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not bothered enough by ads to write regular expressions to block them one site at a time.

      If you consider advertising to be that much of a personal insult, then I weep for you.

    117. Re:Not being trollish, but... by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "...how relevant is Opera really?"

      Considering you're three major updates behind, you're not really the one to ask this question.

      "Why would anyone use this when they can get free browsers that are as good as, or better, without the adware?"

      An Opera zealot, such as myself, would tell you that it's better than FireFox. There's some debate about that. But I can tell you that I installed Opera, had a ton of interesting features I use, and I didn't have to go sifting through plugin downloads to make it work. (built in mail client perfect for forum updates, 'paste and go', page magnification that actually works, an intuitive UI where damn near anything can be moved, turned on/off, or added...)

      As for the ads, Opera switched to text based ads eons ago. They take up very little space and they don't blink.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    118. Re:Not being trollish, but... by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "Brand loyalty. It's strong with Opera. It's also the only reason I can think of."

      That and FireFox feels clunky compared to Opera. I've tried using FireFox before, and there were just too many jarring hiccups. Paste and Go comes to mind. It's possible I could have gone and modified FireFox, but for what? I have Opera right here.

      Man, I feel like a Mac user.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    119. Re:Not being trollish, but... by markandrew · · Score: 1

      one good reason is that generally opera works with ie-specific javascript, whereas firefox doesn't; my company for instance has websites which were produced for use with ie (corporate sites etc) and will not work well with firefox - in many cases you cannot even login. With opera, however, they work fine.

    120. Re:Not being trollish, but... by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "I think I'd consider trying Opera out if it was free (as in beer) and I wasn't hearing how bad the ad-blocking is."

      An Open Source fan who's close minded. Cute, no?

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    121. Re:Not being trollish, but... by gmuslera · · Score: 1

      Forsure have historic relevance. Had "browser tabs" since i know it, mouse gestures from before firefox, i think it is the smallest full-featured browser since i know it ('96). If you must point to someone that went marking the future "innovations" of internet browsers since last decade, opera is a good candidate. And i dont discard at all that it will continue doing that. About the ads, you can choose to have google text ads on it if you dont register, something that is helpful sometimes. Also is a big player in the embedded market, so even if you dont use it in your desktop, still is relevant.

    122. Re:Not being trollish, but... by hkmwbz · · Score: 2, Interesting
      "If you actually believe that the shitty little startup who makes Opera had ANY significant influence on Google or Firefox, you're probably a crackhead."
      Opera, a startup? The company (and program) has been around for ten years! That's hardly a "startup".

      And did Opera influence Gmail? It certainly handled mail in the same way long before Gmail did.

      Did Opera influence Firefox? It's right in your face when you start it: That Google search field? Opera was the first browser with such a search field. Oh, and popup blocking? Opera was the first browser with a popup blocker too (it used to be an option called "allow pages to open new windows" or something similar to that).

      Opera has indeed had a significant influence on the market. Many features we today take for granted in other browsers were invented by Opera.

      And it continues! Opera's SSR solved the problem with normal web sites on small screens. And now Minimo is trying to do the same. But Opera came up with it, and did it first. In fact, most of the things Minimo was bragging about in a recent ZDNET story were invented by Opera specifically for mobile phones.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    123. Re:Not being trollish, but... by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      Actually, with IMAP you can combine IMAP folders and Opera's indexing engine.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    124. Re:Not being trollish, but... by gg3po · · Score: 1

      This is exactly the thing that keeps me coming back to Opera. I have a 22" monitor at 1920x1440 resolution. Many websites are unreadable at this resolution unless I zoom to 200%.

      --
      ---
    125. Re:Not being trollish, but... by rothbart · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Opera is my primary browser, with Firefox being in 2nd place, finally stepping down to IE for those few rare sites that seem to be compatible with nothing else. I started tinkering with Opera at around version 5.x, and with Opera 6.x is became somewhat usable on a daily basis (ie. most sites rendered okay, but not all), with Opera 7.x that ramped up a lot and I got hooked on a lot of the extras (RSS, M2 mail client, notes, etc). I can only think of a single web page that doesn't render 100% as intended and oddly enough, it doesn't work in Firefox either, only IE. It's javascript related. I _really_ like AdBlock in Firefox. I think it's a great idea and look forward to a similar solution in Opera. Here is why _I_ use Opera. For me, on the machines I use, Opera and its interface is faster. Scrolling is smoother (I can read text easily while scrolling it at various speeds), the mouse gestures seem easier to hit (admittedly I only use about 5 of them but sometimes in Firefox, even though I can SEE the gesture I'm making, it doesn't register), easy page zooming (I have a monitor capable of 2048x1536 @ 85hz and I routinely run at 1600x1200, sometimes higher depending on what I'm working on... those resolutions are great for image editing but wreak havoc on your eyes for reading web pages... not so, just bump the page up to 150-200% and you're instantly back in business and everything looks sharp, I love the notes feature and how you can double click on a note to go back to the source web page, it's sometimes handier than bookmarks, reskinning on the fly without restarting the program, turning sections of the interface on/off at will, author mode, fit to width browsing. I realize there's a Firefox extension for gestures, for note taking, and you can zoom the text in Firefox, but while functional, it just doesn't operate as smoothly as it does in Opera. With my large monitor I don't miss the 1/2" at the top for the text advertising strip. I can't help but get the feeling that since all of Opera's features were developed by the same group that they work together a little more streamlined than the open source collection of extensions available for Firefox. I'm not saying everyone should use Opera, but I do think it's a bit close minded for the Firefox-only crowd to put down Opera because Firefox has surpassed it in popularity/downloads. As fickle as this crowd is, if Firefox had 95% market share, you'd probably all scramble to use whatever the current underdog would be... possibly Opera? --rothbart My Blog: http://home.comcast.net/~sean.workman/blogger.html

    126. Re:Not being trollish, but... by badmammajamma · · Score: 1

      Seriously, you're gonna sit there and post about a version of the product from four years ago?

      Ok, I'm game. Lets see, firefix had what features four years ago? None! It didn't exist. Therefore, Opera must be superior!

      Listen dipshit, next time you wanna do a product comparison at least have enough fucking gonads to get off your ass and download it first.

      --
      Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood. -- H. L. Mencken
    127. Re:Not being trollish, but... by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      "still a bit weak on the JS side"
      A common misconception, but totally untrue.
      "and no XML parser"
      Opera does indeed parse XML. It just needs a style sheet for formatting, as expected.
      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    128. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How are the things you mention any different to what Eudora has been doing since the 90s?

    129. Re:Not being trollish, but... by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      "Err actually firefox devotes more screen space to viewing web pages then any other browser. Opera clutters it up with ads and a whole bunch of functionality and buttons that I'll never use or need in a web browser. Opera loads faster, but I do believe firefox is more responsive once it loads. The best thing about firefox is its simplicity, I'm looking at 5 buttons right now (Back, Foward, Reload, Stop, Home) and that's all I should ever have to look at."
      You are claiming that Opera "clutters it up with ads and a whole bunch of functionality", but the fact is that the default UI with Google ads shows seven buttons, all of which are very useful. Opera also has a faster UI since it doesn't use XUL, so it's far more responsive. And when going back and forward Opera does so right away, while Firefox reloads the page.
      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    130. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Denyer · · Score: 1
      Firefox: Download a 5MB program, download a 500KB extension, install, restart, download a 1MB extension, install, restart, download security update for extension 1, install, restart, lather, rinse, repeat.

      What the extensions do you have running for that usage pattern, or are you simply trolling?

      The twenty-ish extensions I have installed (perhaps five of which I actually tend to use) were one installation process and total perhaps a couple of meg, if that. They're also all backup'd in one folder for easy installation if, for some reason, I need to refresh the OS.

      Besides, I never trust Adblockers

      So don't use one. Also, you'd only fail to see photos if you were enough of a moron to set up filters that blocked them.

      --
      Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Gates M'dna wgah'nagl fhtagn.
    131. Re:Not being trollish, but... by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      That's the nice thing about Opera, nobody's a leech!

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    132. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Will2k_is_here · · Score: 1

      Okay, I've read through most of the comments in the thread and decided we've determined nothing. Key arguments include:

      1. Opera has corporate backing and Firefox doesn't

      Opera users argue that this implies Opera has more responsibility for it's software and produces higher quality products. Firefox users argue that this is a moot point as FF is still high quality AND open source. Of course the fact that a product is open source is a big deal for a lot of slashdotters because we actually take advantage of that fact. In general, this argument definately doesn't convince anyone here (though your boss may like it).

      2. Opera is a smaller download and has more built-in features

      This is an obvious trade off. On the one hand, Opera users argue that a browser with all the features included saves them time and headaches between downloading and managing extensions. FF users argue that it makes more sense to bundle a browser with nothing, and let the user customize it the way he/she likes. Further, Opera users argue problems upgrading FF with necessary extensions while diehard FF users argue such problems do not exist. Another instance of personal experience. There cannot be a right or wrong answer here. Only a preference. As mentioned before though, it would be beneficial for Firefox to ease the extension business at install time by letting the user customize which extensions to include at install time. The extensions should also be required to keep up with release dates so nobody gets left crippled in a browser upgrade.
      I want to mention that the concept of a smaller size download but with more features is a horrible point. You download it once and that's it. Anywhere less than maybe 10mb is pointless to consider. It's comparable to arguing runtimes on a test driver with small input. You run the test a couple of times so who the hell cares?

      3. Opera speed/responsiveness vs. FF

      This is obviously just user experience. Some users say Opera was many orders faster than FF while others say FF shows no speed sacrifices. This is another preference that should be weighed with the extensions vs. all-in-one argument. That said, Firefox is intended to be a quick browser so they would do well to try and keep up with Opera speed whenever possible (and also vice versa).

      4. Opera with ads or payment vs. FF entirely free

      FF users argue ads in a browser is an automatic turn off. Likewise with a fee for a web browser. Opera users either argue the ad isn't annoying or that paying money is worth it (based on other reasons to like Opera). I understand Opera has to make money, but I believe that web browsers are so available today that none should ever come with ads, nor should I have to pay to get rid of them. If Opera is looking to expand their user base, they will have to find a way to make their browser free from cost and ads. Simple as that.

      5. Opera security vs. FF

      Who the hell cares? So long as IE remains dominant, both of these two are many orders more secure than IE. See the article posted on slashdot yesterday.

      6. Features Opera has vs. what FF doesn't

      The (web browsing) features I hear Opera uses singing the praises of are zooming on webpages and mouse gestures. Both require the user to consider how often they will be using the feature. For example: if they'll use mouse gestures all the time:Opera, sometimes FF w/gestures extension, never, FF w/o gestures. All those features that Opera has and FF doesn't I discovered to be features I don't (or wouldn't) use so I don't bother.
      Nobody should try to argue that Opera got the feature first so Opera is better. But I believe this is only brought up when FF users tout the features Opera already has and therefore I understand.
      Firefox developers will need to continue to review the features that Opera has and implement them in the browser or through extensions if necessary. (in the same vein, Opera should do the same if such features exist-does Opera have FAYT?)

      I think Opera and FF develo

    133. Re:Not being trollish, but... by rainman_bc · · Score: 1

      Brand loyalty. It's strong with Opera. It's also the only reason I can think of.

      And opera users are as annoying as Mac users. Feel that they use the best, and that the whole world should switch.

      And if it weren't true, the zealots wouldn't be modding this post down.

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    134. Re:Not being trollish, but... by :jax: · · Score: 1

      I don't consider Opera 8 weak on JS, though it has been the case with earlier versions of Opera.

      It certainly has an XML parser, has had since Opera 4. Since it uses XML for many of the formats it support, like WML, SVG, and XHTML+Voice it would have to. It could style and link XML since version 4 and supported namespaces since version 5. However it does not support client-side XSLT.

    135. Re:Not being trollish, but... by rainman_bc · · Score: 1

      That's why I love choice. I love the tabbed browing in FF. Middle click to open in new tab. Middle click the tab to close it. The rest of the features seem moot IMO.

      But hey, that's what choice is all about I s'ppose.

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    136. Re:Not being trollish, but... by slapout · · Score: 1

      Once you get used to the mouse gestures, you end up trying to use them everywhere

      I know what you mean. I have to use IE at work and I'm constantly trying to use them.

      --
      Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
    137. Re:Not being trollish, but... by c0p0n · · Score: 1

      You're not being fair by comparing a 4 yrs old version of Opera with a current version of Firefox...

      --

      Your head a splode
    138. Re:Not being trollish, but... by rainman_bc · · Score: 1

      I still find it odd that a DOM inspector comes bundled with the package but not something way more benificial like AdBlock.

      Maybe I'm missing something, but it appears that the DOM inspetor is gone from the latest FF release.

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    139. Re:Not being trollish, but... by tehshen · · Score: 1

      I can't download 8 (servers are too slow) but I can tell you that not using the features you don't like is easier said than done.

      Some people like all of Opera's features, but to me, they just get in the way. The menus in Firefox are organised and small enough for me to use them effectively; in Opera, I always had to scan the menus looking for the option I wanted. See this and this as examples.

      As another example, the preferences dialog box (see here. Opera, with all its options and settings, has 21 different tabs for them, compared to Firefox's five. A benefit of Firefox's extension system is that I know where all the preferences are, instead of having to hunt for them. Also, the ones hardly anyone should have to change are in about:config in Firefox.

      I know everyone has their own opinion and all that, but sometimes it is not as easy as you'd think to navigate such a featureful program, and I wanted to point that out. That, and Firefox is working for me fine right now (and gestures on a touchpad = tricky), so I have no reason to use Opera.

      Oh, and if your Adblock settings block things like that, they're too lenient. Try blocking ad companies, such as *googlesyndication* or *ad.doubleclick* for better results.

      --
      Guy asked me for a quarter for a cup of coffee. So I bit him.
    140. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Mitchell+Mebane · · Score: 1

      Agreed. The Web Developer Toolsbar does all that and more. Plus, it and the DOM Inspector are an absolute godsend for doing web design.

      --

      The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.
      --Aristotle
    141. Re:Not being trollish, but... by wootest · · Score: 1

      What happened to the following?

      Opera: Depend on Opera developers to put in the features you miss.

      Firefox: Install it today, or code it yourself if you can.

      That's one half of Firefox's success. The other half is being a simple, secure, pared-down, but still functional, browser.

    142. Re:Not being trollish, but... by SilicaiMan · · Score: 1
      what does Opera have that I would really want in my Firefox?

      The ability to innovate. Opera has defined many of today's "hot" browser features like mouse gestures and tabbed browsing. Firefox simply copied what's out there. I started using Opera back when it was in v3.something, precisely due to mouse gestures and tabbed browsing.

      And Opera continues to innovate. It had the small-screen rendering years before MiniMo. Opera v8 has built-in voice support. Expect that to creep into FF in a few years and be touted as the next big thing since sliced bread.

      When FF v1.0 came out, I took a week off of Opera, and used FF exclusively, just to see what the fuss was all about. I couldn't wait to get back to Opera. FF feels sluggish and less polished, and some of the extensions aren't really well done. Switching between the different tabs (using Ctrl-Tab) is seriously broken. In Opera, the switching order depends on the visiting order of the tabs. So, the last tab you were looking at will be brought to the front when you press Ctrl-Tab. That is similar to Alt-Tab in Windows and KDE/Gnome to switch between windows. In FF, it always goes by tab creation order. So, if two tabs are far apart, I can't switch between them quickly.

      As for the ads, on a 19" LCD they are so inconspicuous (if you set them to the Google text ads) that I never notice them anymore. See for yourself. I don't even notice them on my older 15" LCD. And, they are completely absent in Full Screen mode (press F11). Plus, if you are not a subscribed Slashdotter, you have no right to complain :-P

      Now, FF is a great product. It's leaps and years ahead of IE and other browsers. But, I think Opera is the better product.

      I'll probably be modded down as a Troll, but I don't care. I'm telling the truth.

    143. Re:Not being trollish, but... by fbjon · · Score: 1

      Mouse gestures in Firefox will also eventually give you pain in the wrist. While it's nice that it recognizes more acrobatic moves than opera, it's counterproductive. Down-up becomes down-slightlyleft-up, down-right becomes down-topright, simply because that's how the mouse movement naturally falls. It works nicely, sure, but isn't smooth enough, needs tweaking.

      --
      True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
    144. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stop making sense, fool. Surely you understand that a dozen disparate applets with segregated functionality are far superior to a set of complementary features integrated into one unified interface.

    145. Re:Not being trollish, but... by FuzzyBad-Mofo · · Score: 1

      Ah yes, you've found me out. I like to slap "Type-R" stickers on my computer case, and run Gentoo for that extra 1% speed boost. But if you can look past your Opera zealotry, you'll see that I didn't actually say anything bad about the browser. If it works for you then great, keep using it.

      I don't regard my brower as a "toy to play with." The Web Developer Toolbar is a critical tool for my work. I would go insane without the FlashBlock extension. BugMeNot is a huge convenience.

      Sure, it takes a little effort to seek out and install these things, but there are advantages to this system. (such as upgrading extensions without having to upgrade the entire browser)

    146. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If Opera goes under, their browser goes *poof* and no more updates.

      I'd rather enjoy my Ferrari today than to drive a Ford because I am worried about Ferrari's future as an automotive manufacturer.

      Besides, it's just a fucking web browser.

    147. Re:Not being trollish, but... by n0-0p · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry you misunderstood my post; I'll attempt to clarify it for you. My comment about built-in features versus extensions had to do with web browser functionality, not download size. When viewed in that light perhaps you can understand it better.

      Comparing application functionality versus download size is inaccurate and, simply put, would make Opera look bad. Opera is a browser, and from what I hear a pretty good one. Firefox, however, is a browser that includes the Mozilla application platform. As such, it provides features and open ended functionality that Opera never will. The extra size of the download is that platform itself.

      I do agree that the download size could stand to be reduced (of course it is 4.7m, not the 8.8m you stated). However the foundation is in the process of separating out the platform functionality into XULRunner. This will be shared between Mozilla applications and drastically reduce the binary size, memory footprint, and development effort required for all apps. Additionally, it will simplify integration and data exchange between Mozilla applications.

      I hope that resolves any confusion. Discussion is always better when both sides are on even footing.

    148. Re:Not being trollish, but... by m50d · · Score: 1

      No. Firefox has 5 buttons but they're fricking huge in comparison. Opera has tiny buttons and text labels so small-but-perfectly-formed I wonder if they're hand-rendered pixmaps. The functions are generally useful, I find, the point is they make it easier to do what you want. Opera's definitely faster in responsiveness for me when in use, (that's possibly because I use kde and opera's qt while firefox is gtk, but I find opera more responsive than konqueror too) and renders pages faster (this is supported by independent benchmarks)

      --
      I am trolling
    149. Re:Not being trollish, but... by swarsron · · Score: 1

      I switched to firefox one month ago and i'm still considering going back to opera.

      My reason: Opera is fast. I mean really fast all the time. Firefox is fast if you don't use the extensions that you need to get the same comfort that you're used to from opera. I need tabbed browsing, session saving, duplicate tab and mouse gestures. With these extensions (and adblock) firefox is really unbeliveable slow on my system (1,8GHz, 512MB RAM). Opening a new tab takes up to one second before i can type a URL.

      So why do i not simply switch back to opera? Greasemonkey, RIP and extensions in general (firefox was already slow without them so don't complain why i didn't list them above). Being able to extend my browser is a great thing and i'm still hoping that it'll be doable in a sane speed sometimes ....

    150. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Besides, it's just a fucking web browser."

      Sweet! Where can I get one of those? Where does it get all the fucking from? does it only visit porn sites or what?

    151. Re:Not being trollish, but... by maxpublic · · Score: 1

      Plus, any features that Opera would have that might distinguish it (mouse gestures, I believe) very few people use.

      And you would know this because....?

      Max

      --
      My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
    152. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not going to throw a bunch of harsh rhetoric either, but here are some little things that I use personally which have saved me time:
      1. Customizable keyword search - If I want to search Wikipedia, I type w something in the address bar or d word to look up a word with m-w.com. This is available in firefox through the drop-down search bar, but using the keyboard is slightly faster with "vi-like" efficiency, since you have to type in the search anyways. I could just hit "Ctrl-N, w goatse Enter" without touching the mouse. (albeit adding engines involves modifying .ini file)
      2. Fast Back button loads from memory (not from server)
      3. Paste and Go (Genius. If you've ever pasted in the address bar, you've probably hit 'Go' without modification, at least 90% of the time)
      4. 'Quick download' link/media context menu item
      5. Sessions, Mouse Gestures (out of the box)
      6. I prefer "Panel"s to "Sidebar"s with its buttons for switching between panels
      7. Neat login management (Choose from 'Save for page', 'entire server', or 'not for page', 'not for server')
      8. Double click text url - "Go to url" in context menu (links in plain text happens more than it should, unfortunately)

      Some of the above items are more useful while doing research than normal browsing. They may seem like minutia, but details count, especially when the browser is the most frequently used desktop app. The point is that if there is another browser which I consider to be slightly better, I will most likely pay for it. I spend hours on my browser every weekday, and over time the time saved with the little features will add up. I feel your sentiment though... I would not pay for something to replace Thunderbird, even though it has some imperfections (many unresolved issues as posted in Bugzilla).
      Opera has its own shortcomings... it lacks some FF features that I like. However, I weighed the pros and cons (which may weigh differently from person to person) and chose Opera.

    153. Re:Not being trollish, but... by masklinn · · Score: 1
      However it does not support client-side XSLT.
      Not what i said, but more than likely what i meant, thanks to both of you.
      --
      "The way we can tell it's C# instead of Haskell is because it's nine lines instead of two." -- wadler
    154. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Khuffie · · Score: 1

      Simple: Opera is fast. Takes less resources. Try having multiple tabs open and switching between them in Firefox, you'll notice a lag. In opera, there's absolutely no lag. You switch, its there. Also, the built-in mail client is a real boon, and once you get used to the way it sorts mail out, is really really good. Not to mention that it also is friggin' fast. Oh, and its way more customizable than Firefox as a standalone produce in terms of the interface.

    155. Re:Not being trollish, but... by vcv · · Score: 1

      Maybe you should actually TRY Opera8 first. Those menus are customized, and NOT the default menus.

      Here's the number of items in each menu by default:
      File: 11 (2 are submenus)
      Edit: 10
      View: 9 (5 submenus)
      Bookmarks: 2 + all your bookmarks
      Mail: 7 (1 submenu), plus this menu is only shown if you have a mail account
      Tools: 11 (2 submenus)
      Window: 11 (1 submenu) + windows open
      Help: 6
      Tab context menu: 9 (1 submenu)

      And they are very organized.

      So let's look at FF now.

      File: 13
      Edit: 9
      View: 10 (5 submenus)
      Go: 4 + history
      Bookmarks: 5 (3 submenus)
      Tools: 10
      Help: 4
      Tab context menu: 5

      That's with FF having significantly less features than Opera.

    156. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And dosn't seem like a beta to me, not even when it was named Pheonix.

      You just lost all credibility. Pheonix was crap.

    157. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uhm when did linux not have a GUI???

    158. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Talamarius · · Score: 1

      ColorZilla is nice if all you want to do is zoon the scenery, which is what you would be doing most of the time. But with Opera, you can zoom everything. Say, you are watching your favorite flash app, ie. Strongbad email, and you want to zoom it...ColorZilla won't, Opera will.

    159. Re:Not being trollish, but... by RedBear · · Score: 1

      I realize it's not a fixed price, but I donate annually to the Mozilla foundation for the same reason. Honestly my donation to MoFo is more than Opera would cost me, but I consider it a genuinely usefull charity and a little extra tax writeoff is fine by me. Hell, even my parents donate to MoFo because I suggested they do so if they find the software useful enough.

      Wow. You are one big, bad, MoFo... supporter. Baby.

    160. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Tore+S+B · · Score: 1

      I hate to say it, but Opera feels like a bloated mess. There are far too many buttons and options.

      Well, the binary is smaller than Firefox's. It has many many features that Firefox doesn't, even with extensions. It does things better than Firefox. Also, the interface has been significantly cleaned up since 7.

      --
      toresbe
    161. Re:Not being trollish, but... by RedBear · · Score: 1

      That has to be the cleverest sig I've ever seen. Had me confused for quite a few seconds. Very funny.

    162. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Tore+S+B · · Score: 1

      While Opera may be an "actual company" with "actual revenues" and more than 6 developers, they haven't managed to arrange for a website that is slashdot-proof.

      Oh, nae only ./. Every site imaginable carries this story. When literally millions of people download 5MB, well, do the math.

      --
      toresbe
    163. Re:Not being trollish, but... by scorilo · · Score: 1

      at first, i used opera with a keygen. on some of my older computers it worked flawlessly, small memory footprint and extremely fast, which is something i still can't say about firefox/mozilla/netscape. then i kinda felt guilty so around version 6 i experimented with the free version. after a while the ads started to p me off so i blocked them through the hack in the hosts file. then i felt really guilty and ended up buying a license for all platforms.

      --
      "One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that ones work is terribly important." -BRussell
    164. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/pagedata.ht ml

      "zoom layout" bookmarklet

    165. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      " what does Firefox really lack that makes a browser worth paying cash for"

      Usability

    166. Re:Not being trollish, but... by xander2032 · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't trust those Mozilla people with the future, as a user of the Mozilla Suite for years, I can tell you that they seem more than happy to dump a product that millions of people use. In their own words, they said that the user base of the suite was in the "low millions".

      So I don't put much faith in Mozilla any longer. At least you know Opera isn't going to dump their product next week for something "better".

      I still don't buy that Firefox is "better" than the suite. And I've never really cared for Firefox.

    167. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Actually, I think there are more FireFox users who are like what you describe.

      At least I run into more like that in my web browsing, and I *frequent* the Opera forums lol.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    168. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure of the point here, but that's how it works in Opera...

      That's why I turn off the new close buttons on each tab in v8. Don't need them.

      Although, I do set middle click to open in a background tab.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    169. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      I don't know about RIP, or what it is (Rest in Peace?? :p ) but O8 has User js, which as I understand it is what Greasemonkey is and more.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    170. Re:Not being trollish, but... by rainman_bc · · Score: 1

      lol true that... FF users are a bit of a zealous bunch too haha =D

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    171. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Not to try and get you to switch :) but I'm rather sure NonTroppo on the Opera forums has a Web Dev toolbar for Opera. Bugmenot works fine as a button in Opera and some js. I have it myself.

      Flashblock is accomplished for me via proxomitron, though I'll bet it can be done with User js too.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    172. Re:Not being trollish, but... by swarsron · · Score: 1

      Remove it Permanently http://rip.mozdev.org/ you can do much with adblock but this is also very nice

    173. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ugh. I'm not reading that.

    174. Re:Not being trollish, but... by value_added · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but you cheated and used a calculator, hence the off by one error.

      The correct answer is 2. Only 2 version updates separate them.

    175. Re:Not being trollish, but... by SerialEx13 · · Score: 1

      It is odd that you mention that FF currently has beaten Opera when the FF community often seems to brag about how IE's numbers are dropping. If it can happen to IE it can surely happen to FF.

    176. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      (can anyone identify the powdery residue at the bottom of my coffee cup?)

      I believe that would be "fairy dust", the other hippie-approved fuel in addition to "the pot"?

    177. Re:Not being trollish, but... by blueskies · · Score: 1

      Here's a big feature for you:
      - Real Tabbed browsing with a MDI interface
      - Zoom level

      These 2 features are really holding me back from using FF all the time. I can't stand not having a MDI interface. Instead I get "dumb tabs." Want to view 2 windows--not happening. I just wish Opera would hurry up and add Ad blocking.

    178. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dork.

    179. Re:Not being trollish, but... by :jax: · · Score: 1

      "I can't download 8 (servers are too slow) but I can tell you that not using the features you don't like is easier said than done."

      With Opera 8 you won't even see the features you don't use. This really was the case with Opera 7 too, but the system that allowed for the extreme customisations you can do was brand new and you had to be a power-user to make things as simple for you as you would want to. With Opera 8 it works out of the box.

      Both the extensions system that FF uses and the integrated system the Opera uses have their advantages. The former allows for new functionality fast, the latter for better consistency/testing. Both systems can grow with your needs. You don't have to be confronted with everything Opera can do any more than you have to with Firefox.

    180. Re:Not being trollish, but... by McGarnacle · · Score: 1

      That 3 is padding.

      --

      I disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to tell such LIES!

    181. Re:Not being trollish, but... by iMaple · · Score: 1

      Besides, I never trust Adblockers: they too often (read: more than zero times) throw out the baby with the bathwater. With an adblocker, you would never see any photos from my local newspaper.
      If you were not trolling, then I would really (and I mean it)urge you to to use AdBlock with Firefox. Just go to the forums and check out the syntax for adding advanced filters. I dont know which newspaper you read but I could always tweak my Adblock settings do that I continue getting the pictures I want without any of the ads. The main reason why this is so easy is bcos most sites ue a different ad server (and not their normal image server) which I guess is better to collect ad data (?)

      Of course you would say that the 'Grandma' user is not going to do any tweaking , but then thats how the advertisers make money :) Though one really useful thing AdBlock should have is an instant off switch (some nightly builds have that) so that you can easily know if you are missing any content

    182. Re:Not being trollish, but... by HerbieStone · · Score: 1
      I disagree on both of your points.

      I don't think the mozilla team has begun supporting Firefox because they can't manage both. I'd like to know (link?) why do you think that is the case.

      Where is the garantee that opera will be supported in 5 or 10 years? OSS existed long before any "professional organization" began to support it. Even though I agree that money can accelerate the progess of OSS, I don't think it's actually *needed*.

    183. Re:Not being trollish, but... by nametaken · · Score: 1


      I would never say that Opera is LESS than FF. I've never even used it. Sorry, I thought I pointed that out.

      As for the rest, I was mostly looking for examples of why I should consider spending $40 on a browser. I think it ought to have something I can't live without, since nobody I know has ever paid for a browser before. Again, not to say that they SHOULDN'T, just that they haven't.

      Someone else posted about a page resizing feature that sounds really slick. Also, I like the sound of faster cold start and render times. I just don't know if it justifies a $40 purchase.

    184. Re:Not being trollish, but... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Well, does FireFox justify a donation? Basically, if you use something all the time, and think it a good product, it probably deserves either a purchase or donation (depending on how it's set up).

      As to live without features - I'd suppose it depends on the user. I certainly couldn't live without the progressive rendering that got text on the screen almost instantly when I was still on dial up. I would be severely hampered if I couldn't go back instantly to a form, and not lose the data I inputted already.

      Straight up fast rendering saves me time. Time (especially those seconds added up over hours a day) is extremely valuable to me as I can never get wasted time back.

      ERA is one of those things that will be huge on mobile devices. And for developers testing for those devices.

      As to the less comment, I didn't mean to jump on you. It's just that everytime Opera is mentioned, AdBlock not being part of the default install is mentioned. It get's annoying because:
      1) it already exists in many forms
      2) you have to set it up separately in FF too
      3) For any other feature, the people usually complaining are ok with adding extensions/editing config files

      So it's a sore spot.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    185. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Rits · · Score: 1

      Asa makes it clear in his blog that managing official releases is a *lot* of work, and MoFo does not have unlimited resources. They don't want the long-term responsibility for maintaining both Firefox and Seamonkey. I can't blame them for that.

      --
      If you don't like having choices made for you, you should start making your own. - Neal Stephenson
    186. Re:Not being trollish, but... by generic-man · · Score: 1

      Or I could just read the newspaper, disregarding ads that are of no interest to me, like I always do.

      You'd think that advertisers were trying to eat your children or something. Chill out. I can live with ads if they keep the web sites free for me.

      --
      For more information, click here.
    187. Re:Not being trollish, but... by danila · · Score: 1

      Mail: If you get used to the Opera mail client, there is no turning back. I handle rather insane amounts of mail, and I never spend time organizing my mail. Opera does that already.

      That's so true. I don't have insane amounts of mail right now, but M2 is still a tremendous asset for Opera. M2 was the first mail client, where it's comfortable to organise contacts and mail. When most people who are using other clients need to send a mail to someone, they usually open the huge Inbox, start looking there for an e-mail from that someone and click reply. :) The Bat, Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, they all suck in this regard. But in Opera all contacts are saved automatically when you write to them, you can add the contact by pressing "A" on the incoming message and the drop down suggestions for recipient address work almost flawlessly. And it's extremely easy to view all messages to/from any contact - doesn't take any effort at all.

      --
      Future Wiki -- If you don't think about the future, you cannot have one.
    188. Re:Not being trollish, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "difference between 5 and 8"

      8 - 5 = 3. haha. joke funny.. because I took it literally.. now stop trying to be more clever.

    189. Re:Not being trollish, but... by gg3po · · Score: 1

      lol! Good to hear it's working! ;-)

      --
      ---
  4. Yes by simetra · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    It always has.

    --

    "Would it kill you to put down the toilet seat?" -- Maya Angelou
  5. Mac version 8.0b1 also released recently by ubiquitin · · Score: 4, Informative

    release date on the dmg download for the Mac is April 18.
    Two comments:

    1. It is very fast.
    2. Keychain integration, so all the web site passwords from your other keychain-enabled browsers (firefox, safari, etc.) on your Mac will be remembered.

    --
    http://tinyurl.com/4ny52
    1. Re:Mac version 8.0b1 also released recently by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3. It's still not free w/o having to view ads.

      Stick to Firefox or Safari on the Mac and you'll be better off.

    2. Re:Mac version 8.0b1 also released recently by HeelToe · · Score: 1

      Firefox support keychain integration? Hmmph. I've not been able to find this support - it stores all my passwords and certificates in its own storage, completely separate from the Apple Keychain, and also completely separate from the Thunderbird certificate store (which is a royal PITA if you use dual-use certificates for both identifying yourself to SSL-capable web solutions as well as for signed/encrypted email).

      Any clues on how to get Firefox to use the Apple Keychain?

    3. Re:Mac version 8.0b1 also released recently by Feneric · · Score: 1

      Hopefully they'll support transparent Flash SWF files. Version 7 for the Mac still doesn't seem to.

    4. Re:Mac version 8.0b1 also released recently by Val314 · · Score: 1

      > Any clues on how to get Firefox to use the Apple Keychain?

      well, fixing https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10640 0 would do it ;)

      so, no its not yet implemented (Camino has it, i think)

    5. Re:Mac version 8.0b1 also released recently by pomo+monster · · Score: 1

      Personally, I don't have a problem paying for something if it's worth the cost--do you?

    6. Re:Mac version 8.0b1 also released recently by AndreySeven · · Score: 1

      Funny how windows has had this for a while now... Way to go Jobs!

      --
      University of Washington

      Student

    7. Re:Mac version 8.0b1 also released recently by Aqua+OS+X · · Score: 1

      And as we all know, Steve Jobs makes this browser in his spare time. Also, he is a ninja.

      --
      "Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
    8. Re:Mac version 8.0b1 also released recently by Phroggy · · Score: 1

      Any clues on how to get Firefox to use the Apple Keychain?

      Not gonna happen. Camino does, but Camino is still horribly buggy.

      --
      $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
      $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
  6. Underdog? by kc01 · · Score: 0

    At what point does an "underdog" product get enough traction to become mainstream? Mozilla's finally done it, Linux has, will Opera? Make no mistake, I'm not bashing Opera. I like alternative products to keep monopolies from forming, but has it really seen much groundswell?

    1. Re:Underdog? by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      It will when people get tired of Firefox.

      Firefox will be hit with exploits, and with its rudimentary update system, people will look elsewhere. And given IE7's lack of support for some things, Opera is the obvious alternative.

    2. Re:Underdog? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless you're using a Mac, where there's the default choice: Safari.

      Wouldn't it be funny if there was:
      - mass switching to Mac because of Windows security problems
      - people still keep using the default browser of the OS (in this case, Safari)

      IE becomes obsolete/useless, Netscape/Firefox becomes forgotten (Opera too).

    3. Re:Underdog? by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I still wouldn't discount Opera. It has a strong presence on all platforms, and that's important as it provides a single, interface across all platforms, and this will become important as workplaces and homes, too, become more cross-platform.

      The rise in Firefox usage has three major reasons:
      1. security reasons
      2. Seamonkey's perceived bloat
      3. trend

      Security is never a guarantee. Trends don't last. And Seamonkey, especially 1.8x, is as fast as Firefox, while providing more.

      Opera, like Seamonkey, has a strong core userbase, that have been using that product for a long time. I do see however, Safari trumping Firefox, if Longhorn fails to deliver, and with the continued strong showing from Apple with the OS X products.

    4. Re:Underdog? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wouldn't it be funny if Mac fanboi's would just shut the fuck up already about their fucking computers? Actually that wouldn't be funny at all. It would bring a sigh of relief. You jerkoffs are just as bad as your Linux zealot counterparts.

      At least the Linux zealots are (mostly) running their operating systems on non-proprietary machines. Unlike the OS X fanboi's who are happily stuck with their Apple hardware lock-in. Sheep.

    5. Re:Underdog? by Esine · · Score: 1

      I really wonder why on earth people use FireFox? And how come it's suddenly so big thing? I mean, FireFox is quite young project and everybody seems to use it now. So.. what browser did you use before it? Do you really think Firefox is "in" now?

      And Firefox used to have slogan "Firefox is the most customizable browser on the planet" or something. That's so not true.
      Opera _IS_ infact way more configurable. Can you configure all the menus, keyboard hotkeys, mouse gestures ("mouse hotkeys"), position of toolbars, what javascript is allowed to do and what it isn't.. Can you? I don't know about FF but you sure can in Opera.
      And a VERY nice feature in Opera 7.60/8 is User Javascript. See here: http://my.opera.com/hallvors/journal/44 http://my.opera.com/hallvors/journal/45 You can even create adblocker type of thing with User Javascript (there's already one, search opera forums/journals. It blocks Google and slashdot ads just fine :)
      You should REALLY try Opera and see what you're missing.

    6. Re:Underdog? by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I personally use Mozilla Seamonkey, which I've been using since 1.3, and even before with Netscape 6 and 7.

      You "can" customize Firefox, if you know XUL well enough. Firefox has User Javascript (Greasemonkey) too, as well as Mouse Gestures and so on. But they've been there in Opera for a long time.

      Firefox is popular because it is riding on a huge trend, spread via blogs, news sites and general grass-roots marketing. That's something that Opera doesn't have. And even though I'm a long-time Mozilla user and supporter, I'd personally still use Opera rather than Firefox. But I still have my trusty Seamonkey.

    7. Re:Underdog? by The+Original+Yama · · Score: 1
      And Firefox used to have slogan "Firefox is the most customizable browser on the planet" or something. That's so not true.

      Of course it is true. No other Web browser (including Opera) has an extensions system with as many extensions available. With a few extensions, Firefox can easily surpass Opera in features.
    8. Re:Underdog? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, there's way more Internet Explorer extentions ... but they generally aren't the software that you want to run. :)

  7. The missing links by erykjj · · Score: 3, Informative

    Here are the links to the Opera web site and downloads.

  8. Opera 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    No stopwatch. Less features than Mozilla. Lame.

  9. screenshots by MankyD · · Score: 4, Informative
    --
    -dave
    http://millionnumbers.com/ - own the number of your dreams
    1. Re:screenshots by gowen · · Score: 4, Funny

      More images of opera in action : here, here, here and here

      --
      Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
    2. Re:screenshots by dylan_- · · Score: 1
      --
      Igor Presnyakov stole my hat
    3. Re:screenshots by StonedRat · · Score: 1

      It seems to check the referrer and gives an proxy error from /.

      --
      "Religion is the most malevolent of all mind viruses." - Arthur C. Clarke.
  10. In all honesty by Tibor+the+Hun · · Score: 3, Interesting

    In all honesty, for the past 3-4 weeks firefox has been rendering slash properly for me.
    v1.0.2
    Anyone else out there, or am I just lucky?

    --
    If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.
    1. Re:In all honesty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      In all honesty, for the past 3-4 weeks firefox has been rendering slash properly for me.
      v1.0.2
      Anyone else out there, or am I just lucky?

      You're just lucky. The fix is CVS HEAD, not the 1.0.x branch, so it'll appear in 1.1 first.

    2. Re:In all honesty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Anyone else out there, or am I just lucky?

      You're lucky.

      I believe that the FF slashdot bug is timing-related, i.e. whether X loads before Y, and I have also seen it come and go over the weeks.

    3. Re:In all honesty by LordSnooty · · Score: 1

      Perhaps someone could explain what is wrong with /. in Firefox - I mean, does it spit fire, or something? What I'm looking at now isn't ablaze, so I'm minded to say that I have the fixed version too. Result!

    4. Re:In all honesty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In all honesty, for the past 3-4 weeks firefox has been rendering slash properly for me.
      v1.0.2
      Anyone else out there, or am I just lucky?


      Nope. It renedered lots of dupes and nonsense for me. But it all depends on what you mean by "rendering slash properly for me". :)

    5. Re:In all honesty by cortana · · Score: 1

      Firefox getting it right 100% of the time coincided with a change in the way the left hand column looks (it's wider), so I guess the site admins fixed the HTML that was being generated.

    6. Re:In all honesty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's some obscure rendering timing bug with slashdot's HTML that causes the left column to overlap the main area until one does some sort of reflow operation like changing the font size. On fast connections. With older versions of firefox. Some of the time.

      But there's this segment of users that likes to think everyone will think they're super-smart people for bring it up over and over and over. And over. And over. Even after it's been fixed for months.

      That's slashdot for you.

  11. So far, so good by wyckedone · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Opera 8 works really well. I haven't had any issues so far. The speed seems on par with Firefox.

    One impressive point is that Opera stays up on their security patches. Version 7.0 only had 35 issues since 2002 and they were all patched relatively quickly.

    1. Re:So far, so good by sznupi · · Score: 1

      Unfortunatelly, speed is far lower than Firefox. Of course Opera zealots say otherwise (disclaimer: Opera is MY main browser; on machine with 128MB it's my only choice apart from IE, so...), but what they say applies to lowest denominator: case with few pages open. I have 30, 40 pages open regularly - and Opera than becomes totally unresponive :( Reaction to clicking on a tab takes few seconds (if it reacts at all; and clicking again is dangerous because there's close button there; of course I can without problems open closed tab again in Opera, but this takes again much time...), mouse "deattaches" from the scrollbar (scrollwheel acts similarly) and, worse of all, sometimes whole transfer to/from Opera stops (I use OS without "max number of connections limit": win2k SP4), forcing me to restart Opera...Overall, Opera Software must really fix the behaviour of their browser with many sites open...

      --
      One that hath name thou can not otter
  12. Better links. by frostman · · Score: 4, Informative

    The linky got me a proxy error, so here are some others.

    Product page with download links etc.

    The Register

    The Google

    ...and what is up with OperaMan?

    --

    This Like That - fun with words!

  13. all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by curtisk · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Bwa-ha-ha-hem....

    I know that Firefox is all the rage these days, but Opera has a pretty faithful user base....or did I miss a slash-think programming update, the one where we're supposed to badmouth and laugh at Opera?

    News for nerds, editors opinions that don't matter

    --

    Sehr geehrter Toilettenbenutzer!

    1. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Firefox is God around here. That, and Apache, allow these people to cling to the misguided belief that open source software is a viable replacement for all proprietory software, despite the absolutely incredible weight of evidence against that assertion.

      The fact that Opera is the best browser available doesn't matter, because it's not open source.

    2. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      shut up. you know quite well that opera is only for transsexual stumpers like yourself.

    3. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it's not the best. name one thing it can do that justifies spending $40 on it rather than some beer or a handjob from a hooker.

    4. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      good luck getting the original AC to post in reply, oh yeah, you're AC too, lets all post AC! BooooYA!

    5. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      shut up. you know quite well that opera is only for transsexual stumpers like yourself.

      Quite right! I do remember you saying so while we were out buying pumps together! You sassy bitch! Sorry I forgot!

    6. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by John+Betonschaar · · Score: 1

      Cheer up man, it's only a joke...

    7. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1
      but Opera has a pretty faithful user base....

      As one of the "faithful base" (this message is being posted with Opera), I am becoming disenchanted with the direction that Opera Software is taking. Opera is becoming more bloated and more buggy with each release. Instead of fixing bugs, new features are being added, new features that themselves contain additional bugs. Why do I need yet another mail reader in my browser?

      On the other hand, I can get FireFox to have similar functionality to Opera only by loading a bunch of plug-ins. I do not know whether those plug-ins will work in the next release of FireFox, or if they do work, how much time I'll need to spend to download and install them.

      So when will someone make the Perfect Browser?

    8. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Cheer up man, it's only a joke...

      Is this a attempted news site or a comedy site?

    9. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hookers are selling beer now?

    10. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1
      Yeah...I've been a loyal user since version 3, but ever since they rewrote the entire browser from scratch, it's kinda sucked. I mean, come on, an IRC client? It's a freaking web browser. And 7.54 crashes when I have more than ~15 windows open and keep opening new ones. I know it'll crash, so I have to finish a few, open a few more, etc.

      Here's hoping Opera 8 works well...(crosses fingers)

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    11. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by hkmwbz · · Score: 5, Informative
      "I am becoming disenchanted with the direction that Opera Software is taking. Opera is becoming more bloated and more buggy with each release."
      Huh? Opera 8 has had the longest period of testing ever. And even with all the built-in features it's still smaller and faster than Firefox.

      Opera 8 is even faster than previous versions as well. I have no idea how you can be talking about "bloat" and "more buggy", when clearly, they are fixing stuff like mad, and with three betas and countless previews in addition to that, Opera 8.0 is an extremely solid release.

      "Instead of fixing bugs, new features are being added, new features that themselves contain additional bugs."
      Instead of fixing bugs? What are you talking about? Loads of bugs have been fixed during the beta tests. It is nothing but a blatant lie to claim that Opera has been fixing bugs instead of adding new features.

      But so what if they add new features? It's a good thing! Opera is expanding. They can afford to hire more devs, both to add new features, and to fix bugs.

      "Why do I need yet another mail reader in my browser?"
      Opera has always had a built-in e-mail client, so the point is moot.
      "On the other hand, I can get FireFox to have similar functionality to Opera only by loading a bunch of plug-ins."
      Except Firefox has lots of bugs of its own. Just recently, 1.0.3 was released with critical security fixes, whereas Opera is the only browser of the "big three" with no unpatched vulnerabilities.
      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    12. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm also an Opera user. I agree with this comment. Who cares about "a new streamlined interface" when the damn browser borks a few times a day? Substance over style!!!

    13. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by FidelCatsro · · Score: 1

      I find it disgracefull that they would misrepresent opera like that .
      We all know opera has a far larger users base .. I think its up to around 12 or 14 now ..

      Ok seriously though , it was only a joke .
      Opera has a smaller comparitive user base , that dosn't take away from the fact that it is an excelent browser and is extremly efficent and fast(feels quick) .
      It read to me as if it was a freindly ribbing not a dire troll from hell

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    14. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Troll, the browser crashes when opening many new Windows. Huh? Fuck you!

    15. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Weird. Have you reported crash bugs to Opera Software? I certainly often have 30 + pages open in 7.54u2 (I just got O8 today) with no crashes. In fact, on my machine, Opera is one of the most stable pieces of software. I have to really work to think of the last time it crashed.

      Everyone I know personally who uses Opera on their machines agrees it is extremely stable, and not one has ever said they had it crash.

      I wonder about your system, and how stable anything is on it.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    16. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      "Troll, the browser crashes when opening many new Windows."

      Nope, it doesn't.

    17. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      News can be funny too , like finding out people voted for bush a second time had me rolling about laughing till i found out they were serious

    18. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1
      Hahaha. Yeah, right. Report the bug. I tried doing that, once, on Opera's NNTP server, about a different problem. Was told that they had "other development priorities", or some such. Report the bug...that's a good one.

      It's the only application that crashes. No problems with anything else. Of course, by Opera developer standards, I must be imagining things. Not to single out Opera, most developers are like that.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    19. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      I actually meant a crash log to their bug tracking system, but whatever.

      Obviously, your crashes aren't happening to everyone, or there would be more complaints, and it likely would have been fixed by now.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    20. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by zxSpectrum · · Score: 1

      The proper way to report bugs in Opera is not via the Opera usenet groups.

      Try the bug report wizard

    21. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Kainaw · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I know that Firefox is all the rage these days, but Opera has a pretty faithful user base....or did I miss a slash-think programming update, the one where we're supposed to badmouth and laugh at Opera?

      In the hospital that I work in, Opera users are 'faithful', they are 'fanatical'. I had to experience this first-hand when a request came in to set one of our in-house web forms up so that the user could add to a field, but not delete anything. Guess what, you cannot override the backspace functionality in Opera. You can do it in every other web browser in common use, but no Opera. So, I got the rath of the Opera users. I told them that I would be more than happy to make Opera work properly with the form if they would tell me HOW to make Opera work properly. This went all the way back to the Opera developers since the hospital pays a lot of money for a site license. The developers response was that Opera does not and will never support overriding the backspace key because there is no valid reason an honest person would ever want to do that - even if that person was a programmer for a hospital that specifically asked for a page on their in-house web forms to be set up with the backspace key overridden.

      --
      The previous comment is purposely vague and generalized, but all of the facts are completely true.
    22. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1
      "On the other hand, I can get FireFox to have similar functionality to Opera only by loading a bunch of plug-ins."

      Except Firefox has lots of bugs of its own. Just recently, 1.0.3 was released with critical security fixes, whereas Opera is the only browser of the "big three" with no unpatched vulnerabilities.

      = = =

      Interesting. I added that last comment (the one in italics above) as a criticism of FireFox to see if a rabid Opera cheerleader would be so caught up in defending Opera that she or he would not realize that the comment was critical of FireFox. Looks like I caught the fish I was angling for. ;-)

    23. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its only a joke, but if it was geared at firefox, then half the community would be pissed. If the next firefox story was titled "from the 'It-one day-will-become-a-browser dept'" people would throw a fit.

    24. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      "Interesting. I added that last comment (the one in italics above) as a criticism of FireFox to see if a rabid Opera cheerleader would be so caught up in defending Opera that she or he would not realize that the comment was critical of FireFox. Looks like I caught the fish I was angling for. ;-)"
      Actually, I was proving the point that your comments about "bugs in Opera" were nothing but blowing off steam with no real basis in reality. Sure Opera has bugs, but all software does. Opera isn't getting more buggy - quite the opposite, in fact. And the fact that security holes are plugged quickly and efficiently prove that your comments about "more buggy" are nonsense.
      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    25. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Threni · · Score: 1

      I had problems with Opera a while back. God knows what version. It had bugs, and it had no way of block ads, and it kept nagging about paying for a version with less nags. It was about that time that I heard about Firefox (I must have done a web search or something). I've never looked back. Quite why I'm supposed to care about whether a feature is designed in or added as an extension is beyond me. Surely it's better to have extra features as extensions to keep the size down. And what's the problem with adding an ad blocking feature to Opera? Who's more important to them - the end user, or advertisers? If all I am to them is a click-event generator then perhaps they're better off with their dwindling user base.

    26. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 1

      It's PROPRIETARY. Anti-Microsoft doens't mean good. They are just as evil.

      --
      WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
    27. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by slapout · · Score: 1

      Just curious...why would you want to override the backspace key?

      --
      Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
    28. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1
      Opera isn't getting more buggy - quite the opposite, in fact. And the fact that security holes are plugged quickly and efficiently prove that your comments about "more buggy" are nonsense.

      Opera still crashes when trying to access a https site through a proxy. This critical bug is new since the earlier 7.x versions. This security issue was brought up on the beta newsgroup by one of the posters two beta releases ago. It still is not fixed, even though it was confirmed in the news group by multiple Opera users. I was watching that particular bug with interest, since it bites me too frequently (accessing online shopping sites and my bank site via the company's proxy server).

      So much for Opera's vaunted security leanings.

      So much for plugging security holes quickly and efficiently.

      I have to either not use https, or use another browser, to access secure web sites.

      Before you continue the attempt to rationalize Opera Software's failings, you should realize that I have actually purchased a license for Opera, therefore I do expect a more responsive vendor than Opera has been so far. So have fun in your blind advocacy for Opera, but be aware that you may be doing more harm than good when you tell customers that their concerns are not really worthwhile.

    29. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Opera still crashes when trying to access a https site through a proxy. This critical bug is new since the earlier 7.x versions."

      I've never had that problem, and I've used Opera and a HTTPS proxy on several computers.

      "So much for plugging security holes quickly and efficiently."

      Crashing is not a security hole, dude. Get real!

    30. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Kainaw · · Score: 1

      Just curious...why would you want to override the backspace key?

      I have been unable to explain to Opera developers, so please be patient...

      The hospital switched from paper forms to web-based forms a few years ago. It created a database problem because everything was free-form text.

      Step 2: To limit entry, they changed a bunch of fields to select-lists. You had to choose from a valid value. The problem was that new values were required on a regular enough basis that the Db administrator made me add a text field for 'new' values and a select list for the proper allowed values.

      Step 3: The text field/select list combos made the clerks upset because it was too much to look at. So, I got real creative and made the text field hover above the select list so it looked exactly like a real combo-box. Problem: tabs don't work when you have two fields pretending to be one field and the clerks don't use mice unless they absolutely have to.

      Step 4: I removed the text field and used javascript to allow you to edit the first entry in the select list. You get one item to tab across and you can edit it if necessary. Problem: when you hit the backspace key to fix a typo, you go to the previous page.

      Step 5: I caught the backspace key event and everyone was happy - until the Opera guys used the forms. You cannot catch/change the backspace event for Opera. So, when they make a typo, they cannot change it. My solution: don't use Opera. This combo-box tested fine in IE, Netscape, Mozilla/Firefox, Konqueror, and Safari.

      --
      The previous comment is purposely vague and generalized, but all of the facts are completely true.
    31. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by maxpublic · · Score: 1

      Another Firefox fanboy. It really gets your panties in a wad that competition for your precious browser exists, doesn't it?

      Max

      --
      My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
    32. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Oh, yeah, sure, they'd pay attention then. Haha. I dare you to report a bug.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    33. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by curtisk · · Score: 1
      It's PROPRIETARY. Anti-Microsoft doens't mean good. They are just as evil.

      I understand the point you are trying to make, but let's keep it in reality. Opera is on the same level as Microsoft? Heh.

      So your car is open source, you can get all the detailed schematics by just asking? Your PC bios is open source? Your microwave input panel interface is open source? How about the OS/operating enviornment on your cellphone?

      *Raises "slashdot shields" to full power*

      PROPRIETARY doesn't always mean bad either.

      --

      Sehr geehrter Toilettenbenutzer!

    34. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      News can be funny too , like finding out people voted for bush a second time had me rolling about laughing till i found out they were serious

      Same here.......same here.....

    35. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by zxSpectrum · · Score: 1

      I have reported ~100 bugs in earlier versions of Opera, and the vast majority of these are fixed

    36. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by 0x000000 · · Score: 1

      I did not know that Firefox was considered to be precious. Being a Safari user myself, who has used the latest Opera (On Windows), i must say i am impressed.

      However, there are short comings on all fronts, including Opera, Firefox, Safari and Internet explorer. There is no good way to compare them all as they all offer their own special way of doing things. Thus i feel that making comparisons between the three/four (If IE is still part of it), is unfair, and should really not be done. I am neither an Opera, Firefox, or Safari fan-boy, and will never be considering the fact that on all the projects i have worked so far the requirements were that it work in all four browsers seamlessly, and if at all possible, in links.

      Please do yourselves a favor, and stop picking sides. It won't help your argument, and will only cause the other to post more idiotic replies which don't make sense.

      As for the issue at hand, the HTTPS not working behind a proxy, i have had this issue myself, however i am unable to reproduce the problem with the latest version of Opera, so i can not really comment on that.

      All i want to say is that Safari, Opera, and Firefox are extremely viable web browsers. I currently use Safari and Firefox for development of websites, with occasionally Opera and IE, but that is because Opera on the Mac has never "felt" right.

      Have a good day gentlemen, and enjoy your flamewar. Every browser does what it is supposed to do, all of them differnent with different feature sets.

      --
      cat /dev/null > .signature
    37. Re:all-nine-users-cheer dept ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, I guess I'd have a hard time telling you why opera is worth paying for, because firefox and its extensions have copied every single thing that opera has done. Tabbed browsing, mouse gestures, session management, google search bar, customizable search bars in general, password manager, etc.

      Watching the firefox camp steal every single idea that the Opera team has come up with is rather sad - almost enough to make me respect the idea of a software patent. Implementing ideas is easy; coming up with them is hard.

  14. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  15. Great... by Masq666 · · Score: 2, Informative

    This is actually the first Opera version to work on my machine since i tried Opera 5 or something, and i'm all in love now... It's fast, safe and the rendering is nice... Great release..

    --
    Bits of News Giving you the latest bits.
  16. But OS/2 version still at 5.12 by MCRocker · · Score: 1

    That's great that they keep the Mac version in sync with the windows version, but the poor OS/2 version is still stuck at 5.12 :(

    --
    Signatures are a waste of bandwi (buffering...)
    1. Re:But OS/2 version still at 5.12 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's because Opera contacted all OS/2 users, and they said they now use something else (all 3 of them).

  17. Re:Use this code to register Opera for Free by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This offer was from a German computer magazine, and was valid for Opera 7.x only. It will not work in Opera 8

  18. Browser Comparison by ntshma · · Score: 0

    I've been wondering about Opera myself. Hopefully there are some people here who have used Opera and Firefox and can explain if it would be worth it to pay for Opera. I went to download the free version to check it over but apparently I'll have to wait a while: Server Error The following error occurred: [code=SERVER_RESPONSE_RESET] The server response could not be read because of an error. Contact your system administrator. Does anyone have an objective comparision to share?

    1. Re:Browser Comparison by simetra · · Score: 4, Interesting
      I've been using Opera for a while, and have tried Firefox. I'm not associated in any way with Opera.

      The main thing about Firefox that bugs me is the plugins. Features such as tabbed browsing, and mouse gestures come standard with Opera, where with Firefox (at least when I tried it), you're required to track down and choose what plugin you want. These appear to be third-party plugins. God knows what code's in them, or if they'll break if you update Firefox.

      My second main complaint with Firefox is the horrendously huge Thunderbird. Again, Opera has it's own built-in mail client.

      The things that keep me using Opera are:

      • It's fast
      • Built-in mouse gestures, tabbed browsing
      • Built-in mail client
      • Built-in IRC client
      • Very customizable, with skins and color schemes
      • Most plugins work with it
      • Lots of very handy keyboard shortcuts
      • Easy to use (or not use) password keeper (Wand)
      • Backing of an actual company with actual employees and income.
      • It's not Internet Exploder.
      • A good user community that doesn't exist solely to bash other browsers

      • That's about all I can think of right now. These things, to me anyway, make it worth the purchase price.
      --

      "Would it kill you to put down the toilet seat?" -- Maya Angelou
    2. Re:Browser Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Opera 8 is supported by gmail now, too.

    3. Re:Browser Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Features such as tabbed browsing, and mouse gestures come standard with Opera, where with Firefox (at least when I tried it), you're required to track down and choose what plugin you want. These appear to be third-party plugins."

      That is a Good Thing. People that don't want tabbed browsing, mouse gestures etc. should not need to have them installed. I may agree with you that it would be even better if the most popular plugins were approved and distributed from the Mozilla team but that is not really necessery.

    4. Re:Browser Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The thing that keep me from using Opera is:

      1.- no AdBlock plugin.

    5. Re:Browser Comparison by AuSerpent · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Features such as tabbed browsing, and mouse gestures come standard with Opera, where with Firefox (at least when I tried it), you're required to track down and choose what plugin you want.

      Just a minor correction. Firefox comes out of the box with tabbed browsing. The plugin is just for more options in controlling the behaivor of it.

      I think the thing that Opera is better than Firefox in is speed and polish. It's very fast and the UI has been well thought out. Things in the browser work in ways you didn't even know you wanted them to...

      As I mentioned above though the lack of decent adblock utility with it is holding a lot of people back. I know there is an adblock.css to use and there is the filter thing but installing and using them are an eyesore compared to how nicely polished the rest of the program is and they in no way compare to the ease of adblock for firefox. I can't wait until one shows up for Opera. I'd use it and not look back.

    6. Re:Browser Comparison by lbmouse · · Score: 1

      A good user community that doesn't exist solely to bash other browsers

      Apparently you are not part of that community?

    7. Re:Browser Comparison by Plix · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You just described the Mozilla Suite.

      If you're looking for a fully integrated browser then you're looking for the suite. Firefox doesn't include those features because that's the reason it exists in the first place: to provide a stand-alone browser without the fluff with a standard, simple interface.

    8. Re:Browser Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      There are lots of ways to block ads in Opera:

      http://nontroppo.org/wiki/BlockAdvertisements

    9. Re:Browser Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who the fuck would mod a post up that claims Opera is better because it supports tabs and gestures out of the box? Firefox obviously has this as well.

      I'm sure Opera is a great browser, but this guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

    10. Re:Browser Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The difference here is Opera implements all that, and then some, with the same footprint as Firefox.

    11. Re:Browser Comparison by TuringTest · · Score: 1

      Check your facts - Firefox doesn't have gestures out of the box, it's a plugin.

      --
      Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    12. Re:Browser Comparison by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      You'll be happy to know that some users are working on just that. When the Opera forums come back, go to the wish list one and search for Opera AdBlock thread. Go to the last page or so, and there will be a discussion about a user JS, User CSS and some C++ code people wrote to do AdBlock.

      Or, you could do what I do and use proxomitron and just have most ads gone after install, with no need to go to sites and right click etc...

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    13. Re:Browser Comparison by pi8you · · Score: 1
      Which is fine and dandy until you look a bit closer and see that the Opera installer(3.59MB) clocks in at under a third the size of the Mozilla suite(11MB), and is even smaller than Firefox's installer(4.60MB). With a feature set that natively includes the following in such a tiny, slick, and responsive package, I'll take Opera any day:
      • the best tabs implementation anywhere(including the ever-useful Undo Close), with smart interactions, quick cycling, and readily handling 40+ tabs at a time
      • a fully customizable user interface that hides whatever you don't want to see or aren't using
      • SSR/ERA, fantastic design tool
      • SVG support
      • RSS/Atom reader
      • M2 mail client
      • IRC client
      • natural, responsive mouse gestures
      • Opera Slideshow and FF/Rewind implementation
      • Panels - Including Links, Transfers, Notes, Windows, Info, and the ability to add your own
      • F12's Quick Preferences
      • optional Voice module for voice-command browsing and text-to-speech on web pages
      • easy-to-use Wand tool
      • robust right-click menus(including text translations and url-hopping)
      • many keyboard shortcuts
      • Spatial navigation
      • User Stylesheets and User JavaScripts
      • tons of text encodings supported
      • And more!
      With Gmail fully supported, and my bank letting Opera 8 in(after having refused betas access), the only reasons I need to go into Firefox now are site testing and Flashgotting.
    14. Re:Browser Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BFD

    15. Re:Browser Comparison by Teja · · Score: 1

      Being one of the biggest Opera fan, I'd have to say that Firefox is fine just the way it is. I use Opera as my full time browser, but Firefox doesn't need all those features. Why? Firefox isn't meant for power hungry users by default. It's something that IE users can use. Opera on the other hand, provides all those features to users that are looking for some heavy features. While I'd have to say this, Opera is a bit intimidating when you first start it up with all the panels opened up. I haven't upgraded just yet to 8.0 (I'm on 8.0 Beta 3) or did a fresh install on Opera 8, I hope it is something that Opera fixed. All those panels are really intimidating once I came from Firefox. After spending about twenty or thirty minutes, I really cleaned things up to have it look like how I wanted it to and I just love it. Opera just works.

      --
      - Teja
    16. Re:Browser Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, an apology would be nice for a start.

    17. Re:Browser Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For me, it's mostly the address bar edit behaviour which keeps me with Opera. One click, then click+hold to select. In Firefox it's two clicks, then click+hold to select.

      Such a small thing, but the behaviour is burned into my brain from years of IE address bar use and every time I load Firefox to render a page Opera cannot manage it strikes me.

  19. Not much of an announcement by b3h · · Score: 0, Redundant
    Just in case it gets slashdotted, here's the text:
    Opera 8.0 Final released!

    Hmm, maybe a link to the Opera Homepage would be handy, instead of just a forum post?

  20. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  21. Great product, but by Dinjay · · Score: 1

    It can't compare with Firefox - especially now that FF has momentum behind it. Hopefully the Opera voice stuff will take off.

    --
    You break all the laws of physics and you seriously think there wouldn't be a price?
    1. Re:Great product, but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't you mean FX?

    2. Re:Great product, but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Firefox can't compare to Opera. It's always a step behind, and it's always slower. You should download 8.0, if only to see what Firefox will build into their next release.

    3. Re:Great product, but by Dan+Ost · · Score: 1

      Do you have any evidence that opera users are switching to FF?

      I'm an Opera user and I've tried several times in the last year to switch to
      FF, but I've always come back to Opera because I like the feel better (compared
      to Opera, FF feels slow and clumsy. Also, FF's use of tabs is frustrating).

      --

      *sigh* back to work...
    4. Re:Great product, but by MrP-(at+work) · · Score: 1

      Same here, im an opera user and I cant get myself to switch to firefox.. Not even sure why I ever tried since it offers me nothing that opera doesn't already do wonderfully

      --
      [an error occurred while processing this directive]
  22. But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by haplo21112 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    After all the bluster from the leader at Opera about making the next generation of IE do the last standards correctly. I would think that his next product would pass the test? Yes/NO...anyone who owns Opera 8 please report if ACID2 passes on Opera8.

    http://www.webstandards.org/act/acid2/

    --
    Power Corrupts,Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, leaving one person(group)in charge is absolutely corrupt.
    1. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by bunratty · · Score: 4, Informative

      No browsers pass Acid2. So far, the development version of Safari comes closest.

      --
      What a fool believes, he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.
    2. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sure there will still be another release or two of Opera before another IE comes out, they've got time.

    3. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Interestingly, Firefox doesn't pass it :/

    4. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      You are missing the point. Acid2 was designed specifically to not work in today's browsers. It's deliberatly a hard nut to crack. It isn't called "Acid2" for nothing.

      Whether Opera 8.0 renders it correctly or not is besides the point. The point is that this gives browser makers something to work towards.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    5. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From the Acid2 Guided Tour:

      Acid2 is a test page for web browsers published by The Web Standards Project (WaSP). It has been written to help browser vendors make sure their products correctly support features that web designers would like to use. These features are part of existing standards but haven't been interoperably supported by major browsers. Acid2 tries to change this by challenging browsers to render Acid2 correctly before shipping.

    6. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      "From the Acid2 Guided Tour:"
      Yeah, exactly. It was specifically designed to break today's browsers.

      Q.E.D.

    7. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by sn0wflake · · Score: 1, Insightful

      If no browser passes the Acid2 test how was the reference rendering made?

    8. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by sharkey · · Score: 2, Informative

      No, it doesn't. It's definitely different though. That long stripe coming from the graphic's eye is now rendered as a text box with scroll bars.

      Take it with a grain of salt, though. The acid test has valid HTML, but the CSS does not validate. Anybody who knows more than I do (admittedly very little) care to comment on the validity of the HTML and CSS of the acid test?

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    9. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by cortana · · Score: 1

      The authors crossed their fingers and hoped real hard.

    10. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by Fweeky · · Score: 2, Informative

      The invalid CSS is deliberate; browsers are expected to skip the broken sections, since that's how CSS handles forward compatibility (i.e. a CSS 2 client can handle CSS 3 by skipping the bits it can't parse).

      It's supposed to trip up browsers that don't follow the spec by giving them invalid but potentially parsable rules which they shouldn't apply.

    11. Re:But does it pass the ACID2 Test? by sharkey · · Score: 1

      I understand now. Taken at face value, it just seemed odd that a test for standards compliance in browsers was serving invalid styles.

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  23. Only valid for Opera 7... Get a free 8 code here! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    That key is only valid for Opera 7. Go here instead:

    http://my.opera.com/community/gfx/banners/

    You get a free license just by linking to Opera.

  24. Slashdotted?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did we just slashdot www.opera.com !?!

    No!!!!!!!!!!

    How can I get my new version? Quick, set up a torrent!

    1. Re:Slashdotted?! by kilogram · · Score: 2, Informative

      Here's a link to the Swedish University Network (SUNet), who mirrors the files from Opera.com.

  25. Three versions don't make much difference... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I still use IE 4, and it works great for me!

    1. Re:Three versions don't make much difference... by nicomen · · Score: 1

      AHA! So it's YOUR box all the spam and viruses is coming from! ;D

      --
      Nicolas Mendoza
      Prepare for MSIE 7
  26. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  27. Re:I guess I'm he only one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    "Too much screen real estate is taken up with a bunch of stuff around the screen."
    Uh, did you actually try OPERA 8? It's got more space than Firefox by default.
  28. torrent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Any torrent links?

  29. How to (legally) get a free Opera license by zxSpectrum · · Score: 4, Informative

    (This is a partial repost from my own blog entry on Opera 8

    Opera is giving away free licenses to people who help spread Opera. That's right, you can get a free license for an ad-free Opera, provided you do the following:

    1. Register an account at the My Opera Community
    2. Create an affiliate link on your blog or web site. Your link should be to http://my.opera.com/username/affiliate/ (substitute username for your My Opera username, replacing any spaces in your username with +). You can use either a text link, or one of the supplied banners.
    3. Get fifty people to download Opera[1]

    [1] It's actually getting them to visit my.opera.com, but: People should really, really try Opera 8. It's quite brilliant, and in many ways sets the standard for what a web browser should and should not do.

    1. Re:How to (legally) get a free Opera license by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's quite brilliant, and in many ways sets the standard for what a web browser should and should not do.

      Ah, you mean like crashing and disappearing off the screen at random times. Ya, that's what I have been missing in Firefox!

      Well, that and a $40 price tag (for a $20 product!)

    2. Re:How to (legally) get a free Opera license by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's hard to compete with free...the masses are used to a free browser...it's hard enough to get them to switch from a free IE to a free Firefox...don't expect them to migrate en masse to a browser that they have to pay for...unless it can brew coffee in addition to rendering eBay and Yahoo.

    3. Re:How to (legally) get a free Opera license by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 1

      But it's still proprietary software.

      You should help spread firefox, and, if you think that Opera has something that firefox lacks, write it.

      --
      WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
  30. I Loved Opera... by yakhan451 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... in fact I was an Opera fanboy. There are still features i like in it that i'm not sure have been emulated using firefox extentions, such as the zoom, fastforward and changing styles on the fly. Even the mousegestures, to me, seem more polished. But... They've taken a pretty firm stance against including an adblock feature (nevermind that they were the first browser with popup blocking, i believe). There is filter.ini, but it's not the same. It's hidden, and you can't block an image with a simple rightclick. It accepts wildcards, but i don't think it accepts regular expressions. For me blocking ads is more important than the rest of those nice features. I don't care if that makes me a "thief" or whatever. I understand them taking the stance they do, afterall, they DO serve their own ads. But, as long as they don't have a good blocker, i won't be using their browser.

    1. Re:I Loved Opera... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1
      Who implements the adblocker in the browser? There are other products that do a better job.

      Popup blocking and adblocking are two different jobs. Opera was the first, with "Block all popups", but it took them an annoyingly long time to implement "Block unrequested popups", and I'm pretty sure they only added it because Mozilla was beating them over the head with it.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    2. Re:I Loved Opera... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Offtopic, but: did you ever think about setting up squid as a transparant reverse proxy? You can use regular expressions in squid for blocking urls.

    3. Re:I Loved Opera... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Check the forums. Ever since O8 and user js, some forum members have been creating an adblock like program that works like the extension.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    4. Re:I Loved Opera... by pamri · · Score: 1

      Try Privoxy, a GPL'ed lightweight proxy server that runs on OS X, linux, *nix & Windows. Besides installing and pointing your browser to 127.0.0.1:8118, there is nothing else to be configured/done. I actually prefer it over adblock, since it gives me a choice of browsers and the default filters are better than some of the filters available for adblock and you can override ads that you want to visit, handy when I am using Gmail and find something interesting.

    5. Re:I Loved Opera... by maxpublic · · Score: 1

      What's wrong with Privoxy? It'll do the job for you, no muss no fuss.

      Max

      --
      My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
  31. Ridiculous! by Tibor+the+Hun · · Score: 0, Troll

    Are you trying to tell us that 3 full releases can make that much of a difference?

    Just look at IE. I think the only thing that changed is the spinning e in the corner.

    --
    If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.
    1. Re:Ridiculous! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't knock that E. I'm sure that took a full team of developers months to get that to look just right.

    2. Re:Ridiculous! by Tomahawk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      But we are not talking Microsoft here, who make a minor change and then sell it for megabucks.

      Opera 6 was very different to Opera 5. Opera 7 was very different again. And the minor releases weren't just bug fixes - they often introduced new features.

      There isn't really much of a difference between Opera and Firefox, especially when you use the plugins with Firefox. But Opera had a lot of these first. Most users of Opera are old users, using it since before Mozilla and Firefox.

      I like Opera. It does everything that I want it to do. One the rare occasion when someone write a page specifically for IE (and they are become more rare now!), I still have IE. I also have Firefox installed so that I can use it from time to time.

      But a browser is a browser - I can see the web pages I want to see using anything. I'm used to Opera, so I'll continue to use it. I know the shortcut keys for it. I know where certain preferences are located, should I need to change them.

      It's a good product, and is well written. OK, I paid for it, but only because I thought it was worth paying for - I even bought a Linux licence, although I rarely use it on Linux (I rarely use Linux itself, unfortunately).

      Before you can start saying that a product isn't worth trying or using, you need to try it out. Opera 5 and Opera 8 are not comparable, so try out Opera 8 (you can do it for free) and see what you think.

      I won't have a problem if you prefer Firefox, but it would be nice to know that you actually tried the product.

      T.

    3. Re:Ridiculous! by Tibor+the+Hun · · Score: 1

      Oh, I was completely joking.
      I've used opera 6, but didn't really like 7.
      Then I switched to firefox.
      Opera 8 looks very nice.
      I missed the mouse gestures. (i'm actually typing this on 8, i just downloaded it to try it)

      I don't much care for plugins for firefox. I really hate having to remember which ones I need to keep updated, it's much nicer for stuff to work "right out of the box".

      --
      If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.
    4. Re:Ridiculous! by mattyrobinson69 · · Score: 1

      when you say linux license, you dont mean from SCO do you? or do you mean redhat/suse/whatever license?

    5. Re:Ridiculous! by Tomahawk · · Score: 1

      I mean the Opera licence for Linux.

      When you register Opera, you only register it for one platform - your code will only work on Windows is you purchased a Windows Opera licence.

      I purchased a Windows and a Linux Opera licence.

      So no, it's not a SCO 'licence' I'm talking about.

      T.

    6. Re:Ridiculous! by jp10558 · · Score: 2, Informative

      I think he means for Opera. Before v8, Opera had different licenses for different operating systems. Basically, if you bought it for windows, you used to have to then buy it for Linux if you wanted to change.

      The terms have since changed, likely due to the changing market conditions. One license is now good for an entire household's computers, on any OS.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    7. Re:Ridiculous! by Rits · · Score: 2, Informative
      .. you only register it for one platform ..


      That's not the case anymore, recently Opera switched to a single license system. You can use the license on all your household computers, whatever the OS you are using.
      --
      If you don't like having choices made for you, you should start making your own. - Neal Stephenson
    8. Re:Ridiculous! by The+Original+Yama · · Score: 1

      Why do you have to remember them? You only need to install them once. Afterwards, they can be managed via the Tools -> Extensions menu.

    9. Re:Ridiculous! by mattyrobinson69 · · Score: 1

      oh rite, i thought you meant a linux license (not for opera), as in you bought mandrake or something in a box.

      sorry about that.

    10. Re:Ridiculous! by Tomahawk · · Score: 1

      Oooh. Wasn't aware of that. Thanks.

      I puchased Opera a long time ago when you did only purchase the licence for the OS you were using at the time.

      T.

  32. Does is have SVG support? by acomj · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I can't get to the page, but I think this is the first browswer with a svg (Scalable vector graphics) renderer. If so, this could be quite the interesting release...

    1. Re:Does is have SVG support? by gasaraki · · Score: 4, Informative

      It supports SVG 1.1 Tiny, yes.

  33. Mmmm... fresh Opera by tricops · · Score: 1, Informative

    Mmmm, that's a steaming pile of Opera...

    Seriously, I can't get anything more than a headline or two. What an excellent release, thanks /.! :-/

    --
    (\(\
    (^v^)
    (")")
    This is the cute vorpal bunny virus, copy to your sig or runaway, runaway in fear!
    1. Re:Mmmm... fresh Opera by tricops · · Score: 1

      Troll? I was referring to their webserver... I was actually interested in at least having a look at the latest release since I haven't looked at any in a while. That was pure irritation at the wonderful slashdot effect.

      --
      (\(\
      (^v^)
      (")")
      This is the cute vorpal bunny virus, copy to your sig or runaway, runaway in fear!
  34. extremely fast by oever · · Score: 1

    Opera is back again with a great browser. It's very fast. I've been developing a webpage that's very heavy on javascript and Opera 8 is very fast for that.

    Also the implemention of SVG is pretty cool. It's not very good. Rendering is sometimes a bit weird and SVG objects are not scriptable.

    --
    DNA is the ultimate spaghetti code.
    1. Re:extremely fast by halivar · · Score: 1

      I've been developing a webpage that's very heavy on javascript and Opera 8 is very fast for that.

      Do you intend to be the only one actually visiting your website? Otherwise you may want to code your site against the slowest possible javascript engine.

    2. Re:extremely fast by oever · · Score: 1

      No of course not. But the prototype is not very fast yet. This can and will be increased. Till then, Opera is a great help.

      --
      DNA is the ultimate spaghetti code.
    3. Re:extremely fast by halivar · · Score: 1

      Another problem is going to be CSS. I used to develop my websites in Opera (before I converted to Firefox), and I found that Opera and IE treat CSS is very different ways. As for Netscape... well, I was able to do some complex things with CSS in Opera that would literally crash NS6. Eventually I had to move to an IE/NS6 combo for website development, because at least I had the guarantee that if it worked for them, it would work for Opera, too.

      Now I develop for Firefox users, and to hell with everyone else. *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*

    4. Re:extremely fast by oever · · Score: 1

      You don't need to nudge me :-) I'm reading slashdot which means I'm developing for Firefox, Konqueror and Opera. Every now and then I boot into windows to fix the page up for IE.

      CSS across browsers can a pain, yeah. I'm actually using javascript to overcome IE's CSS absolute positioning shortcommings. How sick is that. Oh well, the result _will_ be worth it.

      Anyway, by using a abstration for the element controlled by a Div class in javascript, you work around the differences while keeping the code clean.

      --
      DNA is the ultimate spaghetti code.
  35. Re:Two major reasons why Firefox is better than Op by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    mozilla.org can resist a slashdotting.
    Browser quality is not related to traffic the manufacturer web site can handle.

    http://googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1= opera&word2=firefox
    Also popularity measured in results of Google search is not measurement of quality.

  36. Opera is a great product. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Apparently being pro-Firefox involves being anti-everything else. There's no need for all the antagonism and martyrdom.

    1. Re:Opera is a great product. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Martyrdom? Who died?

    2. Re:Opera is a great product. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't have to die to be a martyr, asswipe.

      http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dicti on ary&va=martyr&x=0&y=0

    3. Re:Opera is a great product. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's a nonsense generalization. I am pro-Firefox, because i am pro-OpenSource. I am not against anyone.

      In fact, i was a satisfied Opera user, before i decided to switch my system to FOSS completely. And still, i'd prefer to use a browser which is not as popular as Firefox has gotten. But unfortunately, i don't know any good OpenSource alternative to Firefox.

    4. Re:Opera is a great product. by Koiu+Lpoi · · Score: 1

      I think you just blew the minds of everyone here.

  37. Interface Streamlined... by IdJit · · Score: 1

    website flatlined.

    Thanks, slashdot!

  38. Good to have by hey · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I always test my sites with Opera, Firefox and IE.

    1. Re:Good to have by ChaosCube · · Score: 1

      It's funny, my (infant stage) site will render properly in Opera, but not in Firefox. Everything was positioned perfectly, so I started firefox, and oops! it didn't look quite right. I wasn't bad, but "center" doesn't usually mean "left-justified".

      --
      BDR Gear
      Outdoor gear, MREs, and more!
    2. Re:Good to have by ChaosCube · · Score: 1

      That was supposed to read "It wasn't bad", as opposed to the current "I wasn't bad", which conveys an entirely different meaning. I'm using the preview button from now on.

      --
      BDR Gear
      Outdoor gear, MREs, and more!
    3. Re:Good to have by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Given how Opera is now integrated into Adobe Creative Suite 2, and now that Adobe bought Macromedia, Opera stands to work better on a lot of newly created webpages. Testing with Opera seems like a really good idea.

  39. Fast but buggy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The good thing about Opera is that it is fast. Its Javascript implementation, for example, is vastly faster than IE or FF.

    The bad thing about Opera is that it has bugs. It probably has less bugs than FF or IE, but it does have them, and they are different from the FF and IE ones. As a "real world" web developer you're going to put some effort into avoiding the IE bugs, and probably the FF bugs too, but are you really going to work around Opera bugs? The problem is that 20 lines of standards-compliant code mushrooms to 200 lines that do less when you want it to work on three different browsers. That's unmaintainable.

    Also, while workarounds for IE bugs are normally only a google away (often at dean.edwards.name/IE7/) and for FF bugs a bugzilla search finds the answer, for Opera you normally have to work out what's gone wrong from scratch. (www.quirksmode.org/bugreports/ is one place you can look.)

    The result is that Opera users see more messed up pages than FF or IE users. Their reaction is normally to accuse the site of "not being standards compliant" - wrongly.

    So my message to Opera is: fix those bugs! (Starting with all the ones listed at Quirksmode.) And my message to users is: please use Firefox as well as Opera.

    1. Re:Fast but buggy by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      The vast majority of websites that don't look quite right in Opera are due to bad code on the site. Many are reported in the Opera forum, and usually within 48hrs, forum members have either identified the bad code and listed both the standard line, and the fixed, standards complient version - or (far less often) submitted a bug report to Opera software.

      Also, new in version 8, there is a help menu item to "Report a site" to Opera that doesn't work right, so the devs can check on the issue and fix it if necessary.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    2. Re:Fast but buggy by gowen · · Score: 1
      The vast majority of websites that don't look quite right in Opera are due to bad code on the site.
      That's true. And the vast majority of times I get an uncomfortable ride in my car, it's because of a poor road surface.

      But...

      Because I have the knowledge that there are many bad roads (poorly coded webpages) it still makes sense for me to choose a car with good suspension (a browser that renders those poorly coded pages as well as can be expected.) If I drive up a dirt track on a car with no suspension, it's partly my fault that I get shook to bits.
      --
      Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
    3. Re:Fast but buggy by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      I understand that viewpoint. I personally take a slightly more idealistic/practical approach.

      I avoid to all extents possible dirt tracks.

      And for the big ones I have to go on, I pressure the owners to pave them :)

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    4. Re:Fast but buggy by NutscrapeSucks · · Score: 1

      I tested a webapp against Opera 6. While the Opera site advertised great standards-compliance, the fact was that their Javascript DOM was totally broken to the point where it was impossible to do any sort of DHTML.

      The Opera people have always been saying "Opera is standards complaint, it must be your site" since the beginning of time. I expect v8 is superior in this regard, but after years of lying about the matter, it's hard to believe this claim on it's face.

      --
      Whenever I hear the word 'Innovation', I reach for my pistol.
    5. Re:Fast but buggy by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      I don't really remember all the details about Opera 6, as that was what - 3 years ago? But I have to ask, did they actually claim to support Javascript DOM at that time?

      Anyway, basing your opinion on Opera 6 is kind of stupid when evaulating Opera 8. I mean, Netscape 4.78 sucked on many webpages too, but I don't say FireFox can't render pages based on my experiance with that version of netscape.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    6. Re:Fast but buggy by NutscrapeSucks · · Score: 1

      Yes they did, in big letters right on the homepage. However, on further digging it turned out that most of it was stub-implementations, or read-only, or just broken.

      I wouldn't let my experience with v6 affect an evaluation of v8* -- just pointing out that the perception in the Opera community that the sites are broken can differ greatly from reality.

      * only half-true. I don't spend time coding/testing for Opera, and until someone asks me to, I probably won't.

      --
      Whenever I hear the word 'Innovation', I reach for my pistol.
    7. Re:Fast but buggy by leonscape · · Score: 1

      I have to agree, I hope CSS and Javascript has seriously improved, as I discovered some serious bugs while doing my companies site.

      They where very annoying as I had stuck to standards, and had it working in FF, IE, Safari, Konq, Galeon, and even Lynx.

      --


      If a first you don't succeed, your a programmer...
    8. Re:Fast but buggy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > usually within 48hrs, forum members have either
      > identified the bad code [] or (far less often)
      > submitted a bug report to Opera software.

      The one time I posted a bug report on the Opera forums there was a single response: "Yeah, that's been around for years, that has become an *institutionalized bug*". I love that term and I've now started using it myself.

      I've more frequently posted things using the Opera bug reporting form. The trouble there is you have no idea if anything will happen (well, actually I have some idea because none of the bugs that I've reported has been fixed in version 8) and you have no idea if you are wasting your time submitting a duplicate or not.

      Not a great experience.

  40. Opera and Firefox by Danuvius · · Score: 0

    In a way, Opera really shows the strength of Free Software versus Proprietary Software.

    Opera has been around for how many years now? Version 8. It has about (based on thecounter.com) 1% marketshare.

    Firefox has been around (as a Browser "on the map") for surely no more than 2 years. And it is at 5%+ marketshare already.

    What that suggests to me is that the Browser market was in fact quite open to a better solution, and Opera despite years of trying failed to fully take advantage of the opportunity.

    Then Firefox came along, and, of course, the rest is history.

    I wonder how different all this would be if Opera had turned Free some years ago and the company behind it had become "The Opera Foundation", focusing worldwide development and making their buck via consultations and pay-per-feature contracts from the Corporate world.

    --
    Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    1. Re:Opera and Firefox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "In a way, Opera really shows the strength of Free Software versus Proprietary Software."

      You didn't really prove that. Another unproven argument that is just as plausible is that "free" software is replacing higher quality proprietary software among those users that are more interested in religion than technology.

    2. Re:Opera and Firefox by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      "In a way, Opera really shows the strength of Free Software versus Proprietary Software."

      You didn't really prove that. Another unproven argument that is just as plausible is that "free" software is replacing higher quality proprietary software among those users that are more interested in religion than technology.


      No I didn't "prove" that. Did I promise I would "prove" anything? In fact I specifically worded my post to avoid doing so.

      I'm stating my views and opinions.

      Though unlike your babbling about religion (try saying what you mean next time, instead of employing childish name-calling), I at least stated why I think as I do.
      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    3. Re:Opera and Firefox by hkmwbz · · Score: 2, Insightful
      "What that suggests to me is that the Browser market was in fact quite open to a better solution, and Opera despite years of trying failed to fully take advantage of the opportunity."
      Or Opera simply didn't have the perfect timing of being released as 1.0 exactly when everyone was warning everyone else, and telling them not to use IE. When that happened, Opera was at 7.54 or so - hardly a very interesting new browser.

      Your posts says nothing useful about open vs. closed. All it does is to draw conclusions from dubious arguments. As you can see, Mozilla struggled for years before they stripped down the browser and the MSIE warnings started to appear everywhere. Rather than a simple factor, this whole thing is a matter of combinations of factors.

      Also, Opera actually has to sell a product to survive. It has to make money. Firefox was primarily created to grow quickly, and since Mozilla gets dontations from huge corporations like Nokia, IBM, Sun, and so on, they don't have to worry about sales. They get the money anyway.

      Opera needs to focus on the bottom line, and maybe, just maybe, it's more important for Opera to have enough money to keep up development, rather than throwing it all out just to grow and make nothing.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    4. Re:Opera and Firefox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you make claims about "free" software vs. proprietary software without any evidence and then complain about being labeled as "religious". Belief without evidence sounds like religion to me.

    5. Re:Opera and Firefox by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      Or Opera simply didn't have the perfect timing of being released as 1.0 exactly when everyone was warning everyone else, and telling them not to use IE. When that happened, Opera was at 7.54 or so - hardly a very interesting new browser.
      True. Though marketing is where proprietary software should have the advantage normally.
      Your posts says nothing useful about open vs. closed. All it does is to draw conclusions from dubious arguments.

      ...

      Also, Opera actually has to sell a product to survive. It has to make money. Firefox was primarily created to grow quickly, and since Mozilla gets dontations from huge corporations like Nokia, IBM, Sun, and so on, they don't have to worry about sales. They get the money anyway. Opera needs to focus on the bottom line, and maybe, just maybe, it's more important for Opera to have enough money to keep up development, rather than throwing it all out just to grow and make nothing.
      I disagree that my arguments are dubious. You yourself state that Opera has to sell a product and make money to survive. Perhaps Firefox being less impacted by such considerations is a contributing reason for its success? Is that really such an outlandish proposition?
      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    6. Re:Opera and Firefox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      According to your logic, IE is a vastly superior web browser with over 90% marketshare!

    7. Re:Opera and Firefox by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      "True. Though marketing is where proprietary software should have the advantage normally."
      Right. But Opera is hardly a "normal" company it seems. They didn't try to cash in during the dot.com bubble, and the primary drive has always been technology, rather than marketing.
      "You yourself state that Opera has to sell a product and make money to survive. Perhaps Firefox being less impacted by such considerations is a contributing reason for its success? Is that really such an outlandish proposition?"
      No, certainly not. It is a huge advantage that Mozilla receives funding, while Opera has to focus on sales and the bottom line to survive.
      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    8. Re:Opera and Firefox by Danuvius · · Score: 1

      My post spoke of Free Software versus Proprietary Software and did not address browser quality.

      So I'm not sure how you came to your conclusion.

      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    9. Re:Opera and Firefox by thenefariousone · · Score: 1

      Actually this shows the strength of Open Source Marketing - if such a term exists.
      Just take a quick look at Spread Firefox and take a look at how high the number of firefox downloads is now. Only a few weeks away from 50 million.

      Sure it's due more to viral marketing than anything else, but Opera could have been there too and isn't.

      That being said - doing what they are doing now and focusing on the mobile market is the better long term business decision.

      The true winner is really the consumer from the competition, so keep up the good work all.

      --
      http://hughgordon.com/
    10. Re:Opera and Firefox by jpop32 · · Score: 1

      Sure it's due more to viral marketing than anything else, but Opera could have been there too and isn't.

      Personally, as a Opera user since v6 or thereabouts, I'm rather happy with how it turned out. I wouldn't want Opera to be number #1 (or even #2) browser on the planet. I like it the way it is, an alternative browser.

      Having a small market share means significantly less chance of Opera being a target of a spyware/virus/worm of some sorts. IE is, of course, the prime target. With increased visibility and market share, Firefox/Mozilla is bound to be up next (sorry, but being open source doesn't grant a SW shield of immunity). I seriously doubt anyone considers Opera a viable attack vector. Which suits me fine.

      That being said, off to DL page I go.

  41. OperaMan can't fly... by TuringTest · · Score: 1

    Not a good image for the product, if he needs hitchhiking.

    --
    Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    1. Re:OperaMan can't fly... by Mhtsos · · Score: 1

      Look, there on the Desktop Is it IE? Is it firefox? No it's Opera Man!!! Faster than loading notepad More Powerful than IE Able to zoom full pages in a single scroll wheel turn.

  42. Re:you filthy jew by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    you fuck the pillsbury doughboy in his dough-like anus. you dip your balls in the mississipi river just in the hopes that a croc will bite them off so you won't have to pay for castration surgery. you have opera.com as your homepage and load the ad version on your pc just to "support opera" and you masturbate to the ads, even if they are all for ditech.com and that new optimized version of AOL that you use to download gay pornography that you never watch because you can't view the porn in opera's shitty embedded viewer. you send email to opera asking for a date with its (single) developer. he has yet to reply. probably because he, like you, has no penis.

    Baby, don't get mad... *cuddles*

  43. it's not just about the user experience by mqx · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I read a lot of comments here about comparisons between firefox and opera, and why one is better than the other and so on. Some of the comments then discuss the sizes of the businesses ,and how viable they are, and so on.

    Please, don't forget that the desktop user experience is only _one_ dimension to the problem - remember that Opera aims its business at the embedded/mobile market by producing a light and fast browser. Don't forget that supporting embedded and mobile devices is more than just "porting to a new platform", so if Opera is well engineered from the bottom up to support this area, then it's leagues ahead of Firefox in that game.

    There are many, many, many other markets for webbrowsers other than your desktop - phones, kiosks, consumer products, set top boxes, etc, etc, etc. This is a pretty big market, and probably has a greater revenue stream. Sure, firefox may quote user/download statistics: but just how many of them have resulted in cash back into the business? In addition, remember that someone like Opera may not be able to quote (or even know) its total user base because of commercial confidentiality issues.

    If you're a business looking to integrate web browser, I think the nit-picky user issues may be traded off against cost and technical issues, and that's where Opera may have an advantage over Firefox (and over IE/CE).

    1. Re:it's not just about the user experience by Mant · · Score: 1

      Sure, firefox may quote user/download statistics: but just how many of them have resulted in cash back into the business?

      Er none, Firefox open source software is made by the non-profit Mozilla foundattion. It's aim isn't to make money, but a good open source browser.

    2. Re:it's not just about the user experience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The term "non-profit" is a red herring. Registered non-profits are free to rake in money. The difference between them and "for-profit" companies is that non-profits have to actually spend their revenue.

    3. Re:it's not just about the user experience by scoobrs · · Score: 1

      You're implying that if it doesn't take place on top of or underneath a typical hardcore Slashdot user's desktop, it matters. If a tree falls in the forest and it doesn't run Debian...

      --
      -Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither. -Ben Franklin
  44. Press release by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Opera's press release. Google cache.

    1. Re:Press release by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude asked a simple question. You posted two general issue links. Woot, I guess.

  45. GNAA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Gnaa you fucking gay ass nigs. This Topic is for stupid ass jew bags. Thanks bye

  46. Here is a MUCH easier way to get Opera for Free by kajoob · · Score: 1

    Here is an easier way to get Opera 8 for free (legally)....

    Go here and enter code OJD000MN

    (I just checked and the site is slow so it may be slashdotted, but just try back later - I just tried it and it works)

    You have to use a real email address because they will send you a registration code to use for Opera 8. It will register it as the full ad-free version. Enjoy!

    --
    Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur
    1. Re:Here is a MUCH easier way to get Opera for Free by zxSpectrum · · Score: 4, Informative

      The license key you recieve when you do that is not valid for Opera 8 .

      That is a limited offer for Opera 7.x that ran in a german computer magazine.

    2. Re:Here is a MUCH easier way to get Opera for Free by mrtivo · · Score: 1

      It does work for the last beta of Opera 8 though. :)

    3. Re:Here is a MUCH easier way to get Opera for Free by scoobrs · · Score: 1

      Opera 8 is a free upgrade to Opera 7 so the point is moot.

      --
      -Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither. -Ben Franklin
    4. Re:Here is a MUCH easier way to get Opera for Free by prionic6 · · Score: 1

      Opera 8 is NOT a free upgrade for every user that has a 7.x license. It depends on when you bought your 7.x license and, I suppose, if it was an upgrade or not. The free Opera 7.54 license from that link will not work with Opera 8.0 final but you can buy (or will be able to do so in a few days) the upgrade for the very special price of 8 from that site. Could be that they at least require you to be in Germany, as it is a special offer of that german computer magazine (c't)

  47. Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1

    No it doesn't. Not on three different computers using three different operating systems: Windows 98, Windows XP Pro, Gentoo Linux Maybe you need to get your computer fixed?

    --
    Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    1. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 0, Flamebait
      "No it doesn't. Not on three different computers using three different operating systems: Windows 98, Windows XP Pro, Gentoo Linux Maybe you need to get your computer fixed?"
      So, let's see... When Opera crashes it's Opera's fault, but when Firefox crashes it's the computer's fault? Hehe... Firefox fans... Gotta love'em :-D
      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    2. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      So, let's see... When Opera crashes it's Opera's fault, but when Firefox crashes it's the computer's fault? Hehe... Firefox fans... Gotta love'em :-D
      You're an idiot, hkmwbz.

      When a page that is claimed to crash the browser (and it is alleged to be the browser's fault) fails to crash it for other users on three different operating systems (with three different versions of the browser); perhaps the problem is not with the browser.

      And who said anything about Opera? Who is the fanboy, buddy?
      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    3. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      The hostility! No wonder Firefox fans are getting a bad reputation :-(

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    4. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Threni · · Score: 1

      > The hostility! No wonder Firefox fans are getting a bad reputation :-(

      I use Firefox - does that make me a fan? Am I getting a bad reputation? Should I care? Your post raises many questions!

    5. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1

      You're an idiot, hkmwbz.

      Since your post did not have anything even borderline meaningful to say; there's nothing else for me to write either.

      Ta ta. ;-)

      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    6. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      "I use Firefox - does that make me a fan? Am I getting a bad reputation? Should I care? Your post raises many questions!"

      You may or may not be a fan. If you are one of those people who keep "spreading the word" about Firefox, you are probably a fan, but not necessarily in a bad way. I said that Firefox fans are getting a bad reputations, not that everyone is an asshole.

      Should you care? I don't know, and I don't really care. All I know is that some rabid Firefox fanboys are making everyone else look bad. Ultimately, that could reflect badly on you as a person.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    7. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1

      Guilt by association is fashionable again?

      "All X people are Y." and so on and so forth.

      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    8. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      I can see that your crusade to make Firefox fans look bad is proving to be successful. Keep up the good work, alienating people :-)

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      Clever signature text goes here.
    9. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      No, Danuvius, I am simply making the observation that Firefox fans are getting a bad reputation due to bad apples that attack anyone who dares to stray from the Firefox religion.

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      Clever signature text goes here.
    10. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      I can see that your crusade to make Firefox fans look bad is proving to be successful. Keep up the good work, alienating people :-)
      You're perfectly reasonable in some posts; and a stupid and inanely irritating jerk in others.

      Perplexing.

      You do understand that my replies are written to you. Do you not?

      And I don't think, of the two of us, I'm the one with the crusade.
      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    11. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1

      Such an odd thing to say, since you can't seem to further the discussion by a single post that doesn't use emotional or ad hominem attacks.

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      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    12. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      I will simply point out that I'm not the one calling people names because they expose your arguments and useless anecdotal evidence.

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      Clever signature text goes here.
    13. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      Also, I must point out that even if I clash with you in one discussion, that doesn't mean that I will automatically label you a foe for all eternity and start bashing you elsewhere as well (unless you deserve it). I try to focus on people's message, not ncessarily on the person behind it, unless it is relevant - such as when one is a Firefox fan and mindlessly bashes Opera.

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      Clever signature text goes here.
    14. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      In this particular discussion, your person is relevant, as you are proving to be very biased against Opera, and putting forward useless anecdotal evidence to try and find a way to bash Opera.

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      Clever signature text goes here.
    15. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1

      No, you are the one who is insinuating the insults; I'm the one making them directly.

      In my book the former is underhanded.

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      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    16. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      Also, I must point out that even if I clash with you in one discussion, that doesn't mean that I will automatically label you a foe for all eternity and start bashing you elsewhere as well (unless you deserve it).
      I labeled you a foe due to your use of what I perceived as underhanded childish insinuations. Seems a sensible use of the system. Not so?

      I did not start to bash you elsewhere; unless you consider your replies to others in the same thread as being elsewhere.

      And "all eternity" seems excessive.
      I try to focus on people's message, not ncessarily on the person behind it
      Fabulous.
      such as when one is a Firefox fan and mindlessly bashes Opera.
      Which I did when?? Not in a single post did I bash Opera. I ask again: who is the real fanboy?
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      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    17. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      In this particular discussion, your person is relevant, as you are proving to be very biased against Opera, and putting forward useless anecdotal evidence to try and find a way to bash Opera.
      Where exactly did I bash Opera, kindly tell. You're using emotionally charged words again... and, it seems to me, for something that did not even happen.
      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    18. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1

      hkmwbz, I just looked at some of your journal entries.

      Really now... you are the epitome of fanboyism.

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      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    19. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      My apologies, it was an AC coughing up some useless anecdotal "evidence" about Opera's stability.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    20. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Threni · · Score: 1

      > All I know is that some rabid Firefox fanboys are making everyone else look
      > bad. Ultimately, that could reflect badly on you as a person.

      If people are prepared to use an inferior browser simply because they don't like the behaviour of some users of a superior browser then that's fine with me - stupidity should be painful, but if it can't always be then I'm happy with it being merely inconvenient.

    21. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      My apologies, it was an AC coughing up some useless anecdotal "evidence" about Opera's stability.
      Kind of like someone saying "Opening slashdot articles in a new tab crashes firefox." even though nobody else seems to have the same problem on a wide variety of platforms over the past year or so?

      Apology accepted.
      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    22. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      "If people are prepared to use an inferior browser simply because they don't like the behaviour of some users of a superior browser then that's fine with me"
      There are superior alternatives to Firefox, in my opinion. Opera is far superior: Smaller, faster, more secure, smoothly integrated functionality without having to download third-party extensions.
      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    23. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Threni · · Score: 1

      "having to download third-party extensions" is a good thing in my book. Smaller - I don't care - I've got 200gig of storage and 1.6gigs of ram. More secure? How do we assess such a claim? Certainly the source code isn't available for peer review. Faster? Firefox is pretty fast, and it's possible to speed it up further if you want to prat about with options, but I can't be arsed - it's more or less instant, other than the time it takes to download stuff, which is itself pretty fast on my 1meg broadband connection.

    24. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      Point is, you more or less indirectly say that people are "putting up with an inferior browser" (Opera), as if people are stupid and can't make up their own minds about it, and if they did, they would all come to the conclusion that Firefox is better. That's just a silly way of seeing things. Clearly, some people do prefer Opera, and they are not stupid or putting up with an "inferior browser".

      If anyone puts up with an "inferior browser" is the people who refuse to use Opera simply because it is not free/open. Opera users use Opera because they prefer the way it works, but I've seen Firefox users that use Firefox simply because it's free. They are the ones putting up with an inferior browser.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    25. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Threni · · Score: 1

      > as if people are stupid and can't make up their own minds about it

      Not true, any more than they are stupid for using IE.

      > Clearly, some people do prefer Opera, and they are not stupid or putting up
      > with an "inferior browser".

      They certainly appear to, and I'm vaguely interesting in knowing why. It reminds me of the Amiga vs Atari ST argument, which persisted for years despite the Amiga being effectively an ST with a very slightly more slowly rated - if identical - CPU, but loads of extra hardware.

      > If anyone puts up with an "inferior browser" is the people who refuse to use
      > Opera simply because it is not free/open. Opera users use Opera because they
      > prefer the way it works, but I've seen Firefox users that use Firefox simply
      > because it's free. They are the ones putting up with an inferior browser.

      This is simply poor logic, and incorrect. Assuming Firefox is a superior browser, then using it instead of Opera because Opera isn't free doesn't make Firefox inferior, even if the policy of using free software over non-free doesn't generally ensure you'll end up with better tools per se.

    26. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      With free alternatives around, Opera must certainly be better than the competition if people are to use it. And lo and behold, Opera's revenues are skyrocketing. They may have a niche market, but people who use Opera have certainly made a conscious decision to use it, seeing as there are, to them, inferior but free alternatives out there. On the other hand, most people may just want something for free, even if it's inferior.

      I don't get your comparison between the Atari ST and Amiga. Are you saying that even if Opera is technically better than Firefox, Firefox is still better because it's free, and that's all that matters?

      Opera's got all the innovations, the speed, the small size, the smoothly integrated features (as opposed to crudely tacked on extensions that conflict with each other and crash the browser). No worrying about whether all those extensions needed to even come close to Opera's functionality will stop working when you upgrade to a newer version of the program...

      I don't know why I even bother writing this. Clearly, someone who thinks that people who have made a conscious decision to use a commercial program instead of a free version are stupid and "put up with inferior software" hasn't quite taken the time to realize that people seem to prefer "free and mediocre" rather than "not free, but excellent".

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    27. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by Threni · · Score: 1

      > With free alternatives around, Opera must certainly be better than the
      > competition if people are to use it. And lo and behold, Opera's revenues are
      > skyrocketing.

      That must explain Microsoft's success.

      > I don't get your comparison between the Atari ST and Amiga. Are you saying that
      > even if Opera is technically better than Firefox, Firefox is still better
      > because it's free, and that's all that matters?

      I'm suggesting that even in areas where what is better is discernable from objective metrics, people still manage to turn create `religious` disputes! I don't feel strongly about Opera one way of the other. I had a slightly bad experience with it and decided upon a free alternative that I (still, in the lack of any evidence to the contrary) believe to be better. Use whatever works for you, I guess.

      > as opposed to crudely tacked on extensions that conflict with each other and
      > crash the browser)

      Extensions are hardly `crudely tacked on`. I'm sure some conflict with others, although I've not experienced that. By which mechanism does Opera ensure that it's third party extensions do not conflict with each other? (Perhaps Opera doesn't support third party extensions.)

      > No worrying about whether all those extensions needed to even come close to
      > Opera's functionality will stop working when you upgrade to a newer versionof
      > the program...

      I don't upgrade if it means losing functionality, as it wouldn't be an `upgrade` - simply a `new version`.

      > I don't know why I even bother writing this. Clearly, someone who thinks that
      > people who have made a conscious decision to use a commercial program instead
      > of a free version are stupid and "put up with inferior software" hasn't quite
      > taken the time to realize that people seem to prefer "free and mediocre"
      > rather than "not free, but excellent".

      I couldn't explain why you post to Slashdot (perhaps though it's for the same reason I do - to engage in debate with interesting people from around the world) but I wouldn't agree with your description of both pieces of software. Opera is ok I guess but Firefox is `free and excellent` in my opinion. And, apparantly, not only mine.

    28. Re:Ummm... no it doesn't. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      "That must explain Microsoft's success."
      Microsoft, like Mozilla, focuses primarily on marketing. Opera doesn't do much marketing, unfortunately. So it is a superior program, but the marketing leaves something to be desired.

      It's obvious when you look at Opera: A smaller download, with more functionality, a faster browser, more stable, and lighter on resources.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
  48. SOLD! by baadger · · Score: 1

    A dude in a cape!!

    They just got another customer

  49. Slashdotted? Nope. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    "Did we just slashdot www.opera.com !?!"
    Nope, it was extremely slow earlier too. But I'm sure Slashdot won't help speeding it up again...
  50. Re:I guess I'm he only one... by kgbspy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Opera state on their website that:

    "We've cleaned up our front yard. The Opera 8 interface is designed to make the advanced functions easy and effective to use. Menus, toolbars and other elements have undergone our "slim and clean"-routine. The licensed version has the largest browsing area in the industry."

    Admittedly I haven't had a chance to try Opera 8 yet (still waiting for the server to settle down), however if they can get the screen real estate you can achieve with the Firefox-based K-Meleon (in which you can have every single item, including menus, on the one line), then I'll be impressed, and probably switch back. I doubt that they'll be able to back the above claim up, however...

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  51. A case study of why software patents are needed. by Knights+who+say+'INT · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I usually bring up the case of Dan Bricklin and VisiCalc -- a harrowing story of the man who single-handedly invented business computing as we know it -- but Opera is a good, closer case study.

    It's so simple. Opera comes up with the conceptual innovations (say, mouse gestures or tabbed browsing), and then someone can hack up an extension in XUL to duplicate the functionality. Why would someone cough up the bucks to support Opera's R&D? I know I don't.

    Granted, futile software patents are granted everyday, sp. when there is significant prior art already, but incentives are really being distorted here. Why would a company even invest in R&D? They can always just begin a company with no significant investment.

    This is a schumpeterian collapse scenario, and it's dangerous for the future of technology as a whole.

    It's pretty scary. Tell me, what open-source app has come up with a really new concept, if as minor as mouse gestures?

  52. Slashdot In Opera Is Faster Than Any Other Browser by Axmondo · · Score: 1

    The #1 reason for Slashdot readers to use Opera is that moving back and forth between numerous comment levels occurs far, far ("fa, fa, fa, fa, faaaa... oooeeeeyyy!") faster in Opera than in *any* other browser. If you spend most of your day sucking every last detail of every story in this site, you'll really appreciate the time savings. So, all you uber-geeks could well be trimming months - maybe even years - off you life by *not* using Opera. Erm, yeah, well... maybe not quite that much and Firefox is still very nice, for sure, but give it a go with the old Right-click + Left-Click (and visa-versa) mouse-gestures and see if you feel happier and snappier. Now, is anyone geekish enough to compare the time differences moving between Slashdot comments-tree levels in IE, Firefox and Opera? Oh, go on...

  53. Would be nice to get XSLT support by sucati · · Score: 1
    I'm not sure why more web applications don't take advantage of XSLT browser support. It is fast, takes a load off the server and reduces bandwidth. It's incredibly easy too. Check out

    http://www.tireswing.com/foo.xml

    and view the source.. it's XML. All major browsers except Opera support it, AFAIK.

    1. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by RCanine · · Score: 0

      Opera does not support XSLT and XSL-FO intentionally, as you can read here. I suppose it also has to do with Opera's CTO inventing CSS, or having much to do with the development of CSS.

      As for an Opera vs. Firefox showdown, the only thing 7.54 didn't have over Firefox was stability on OS X, and a web developer toolbar. It should be noted that Opera has pioneered much of the features that make out-of-the-box Firefox so great, and is an industry leader in terms of CSS support, media queries, etc. OperaShow makes things like Powerpoint unnecessary for the CSS designer.

      The reason Opera has so little market share, in my opinion, is that Opera does not have the evangelical fanbase that Firefox has, and Opera also has no intention of modelling itself after IE, which Firefox does intentionally. We have to remember that the inherent failure of capitalism is marketting--which makes less-worthy products more popular to the public.

    2. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not sure why more web applications don't take advantage of XSLT browser support.

      Because once you are using CSS, there really isn't much point, your HTML is clean enough to author in directly. Then you don't need to bother with XSLT.

      Even if you decide that XML can get you 1% cleaner code, what you have done is convert from a document type that everybody understands (HTML) to a document type that nobody understands (MyPersonalXML), and added on a bunch of browser requirements too. Sure, user-agents can parse it, they just have no idea what the element types mean.

      For example, search engines won't know that text within <myemphasis> elements is more important than normal text. They do, however, know that text within normal HTML <em> elements is more important than normal text, and can rank keywords accordingly.

      As for the two people linking to that XSL-FO criticism, please draw the distinction between XSLT and XSL-FO. When that was written, they were in the same specification, XSL. It is a criticism of XSL-FO, not XSLT.

    3. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      That document has got nothing to do with XSLT. Opera is not opposed to XSLT, it just doesn't necessarily make sense, seeing as it requires client-side processing power, and Opera's biggest market is on mobile phones. Use XSLT and you've suddenly blocked mobile phones from accessing your site, as phones may not be able to handle the load.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    4. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by sucati · · Score: 1

      Good point about mobile devices, however you could still do the transformation on the client for browsers and on the server for mobile devices and save processing power.

    5. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by sucati · · Score: 1

      You bring up a good point about the implications for search engines. I was thinking more along the lines of dynamic content that is not applicable to search engines e.g. stock trading app etc. Using frameworks such as Hibernate and XStream I can obtain XML from my DB with great efficiency. From there it's just a matter of XSL. And I can deliver as html, pdf, mobile etc. w/ the same XML. I don't think CSS even near 1% close.

    6. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > a document type that nobody understands (MyPersonalXML), and added on a bunch of browser requirements too. Sure, user-agents can parse it, they just have no idea what the element types mean.
      -------

      You are negecting the "Semantic Web" argument. If anyone wants to machine-parse your information, MyPersonalXML is a lot more straight-forward to work with than a random bunch of <DIV> and <P> tags. XSLT is only needless complexity if your content is only intended for eyeballs.

    7. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you even know what the semantic web is?

      When you use your own XML document type, there are *zero* shared semantics. When you use HTML or XHTML, the semantics are described in the specifications.

      All XML buys you is parsing. It doesn't give you semantics. The only people who believe otherwise are the people who have bought into "the Semantic Web" as a buzzword rather than actually understanding the issues involved.

    8. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, unfortunately HTML semantics suck for everything except physics papers. XML gives you the freedom to design proper semantics for *your application*. Shared semantics outside of a "vertical market" like physics profs is a pipedream.

    9. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      XML gives you the freedom to design proper semantics for *your application*.

      But when you are developing a website, you aren't targeting your application. You are targeting existing user-agents. Existing user-agents that are designed for HTML semantics. Existing user-agents that have no clue whatsoever about your semantics, as "proper" as you might consider them to be.

    10. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by :jax: · · Score: 1

      "Good point about mobile devices, however you could still do the transformation on the client for browsers and on the server for mobile devices and save processing power."

      Do you? This is the argument for client-side XSLT I don't like, "If the XSLT transformation sheet is too inefficient to run on the server, well then shift it to the client." The upshot of this is just to make browsing slower.

      Server-side XSLT solutions benefit from many clients asking for essentially the same document that can be cached so the response which can be very fast. For the browser each request will be new and unique and it will have to do the processing every time. Furthermore XSLT is not optimised for incremental rendering (you show what you've got while you work on the rest), which is what fast browsers do. Server-side XSLT may be resource intensive but need not be noticeable to the user, client-side XSLT will always have a performance hit.

    11. Re:Would be nice to get XSLT support by sucati · · Score: 1
      Yeah I do and you also save in bandwidth (in most cases). I think the biggest gain is a more maintainable web application.

      I think the trend in web applications is shifting toward AJAX and we'll see the client taking on more reponsibility in the future. Also, I'm not advocating this design for cacheable content.

  54. always was and always will be by orufet · · Score: 1

    I have been with opera since I can remember, and I've loved it always. I'm on 8 beta at the moment, but will soon be upgrading. The experience is FAR superiour to what firefox could EVER provide, not to mention the thin appearance and customizability. Web pages show up as about 98% of my screen, not like 90% that you can get with ff. *shudder*. Plus, I hate, I despise, even, having the tab list and the address bar at the top. Mine is, and always will be, at the bottom. SO much better. Wow.

    --
    The Cryptography Forum is new and needs help
    1. Re:always was and always will be by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then why dont you simply MOVE it to the bottom where you want it? And turn off the features you say eat up your valuable space?

  55. Not yet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Opera 8 final still fails ACID2. BTW, here's a link to a recent discussion on this topic.

  56. Re:Opera and Firefox [selective figures] by alexander+m · · Score: 2, Insightful

    well, since firefox is actually a descendent of mosaic/netscape/mozilla, which *used* to have 90%+ market share, you could say that the power of the open source methodology has enabled it's leading browser to *lose* 85% market share...

    however, this would be interpreting the figures in a startlingly unrealistic and selective way, wouldn't it? i'm not including the mozilla suite, or other appearances of gecko, etc. kind of what you're doing with that ridiculous figure above that looks at one measure of success only -- apparent desktop penetration ;)

    why do i say this? opera has an ever-increasing share in the mobile market, an area in which it is light-years ahead of the competition, and for which opera actually *makes money* -- yes, that's real money. firefox has 0% of this market. perhaps it will pick up some eventually, i understand there is a project heading in this direction. so what else... well, opera's rendering core now underpins the latest iteration of rendering for the newly revealed Adobe Creative Suite 2. hey, guess what - they got paid money for that too ;)

    so, from what i'm seeing, opera isn't exactly struggling. they have over 200 employees, they have revenue, they have direction, and thus far every interesting new browser feature seems to have originated with them. the mouse gestures, the tabbed browsing, etc. opera did it first -- and i am quite happy to see them provoke yet more innovation in the browser market. heck, even something as seemingly simple as page-zoom has yet to be implemented as effectively on anything else (not counting font scaling -- seriously, the way opera does it is far, far better than anyone else's efforts)

    don't think i'm not also a firefox supporter though. i actually have firefox installed, and have written a few extensions for it, the most widely used of which is DeviantLink, which will reach its 10,000th download shortly... http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/10222974/

    nevertheless, my preferred browser is opera, i paid for it and enjoy it's superior responsiveness, but i also support and use firefox. indeed, i have encouraged many friends and colleagues to install firefox instead, depending on their requirements. what i really object to is the "all your base are belong to firefox" mindset. it owes a hell of a lot to opera, and it's sad to see people forget that. competition is good, innovation is good, and opera represents the best of that mindset...

  57. Coolest pop-up handling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    I do not think FireFox's approach of all or nothing to pop-up blocking is feasible everywhere; a lot of corporate Intranet applications use/spawn pop-ups windows.

    One of the nifty features of Opera is that they force pop-ups to stay only within the tab that loaded/created them. Your other tabs are uncluttered. That allows me to use a tab for the applications that actually need pop-ups while leaving my other tabs free of such pop ups.

    Beat that Firefox!!

  58. I test only on Mozilla/Firefox and Opera by ylikone · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I have code which I place on every page that displays a red error box if IE is detected... saying to upgrade to a better browser, with links to firefox and opera.

    Screw IE.

    --
    Meh.
    1. Re:I test only on Mozilla/Firefox and Opera by DogDude · · Score: 1

      And I'm sure that both people who visit your web site are *very* impressed.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
  59. Ad-blocking doesn't have to be in the browser by trezor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If you want ad/malware-blocking you can install a local web-proxy like Proxomitron to add this to whatever browser you like. To speak in "Firefox language" consider it an ad-blocking extension to Opera, or IE or Mozilla, or Lynx or telnet for that matter. No need to put something as basic & genericly useful as ad-blocking in a browser is there?

    Plus, if this isn't enough, you can always install a custom hosts ad-blocking file or a custom ad-blocking user-css file. After all all modern browsers support user-css. I'm using Firefox as we speak, but I've used Opera for a long time and I never had a problem with ads.

    As for the rest of your post. Opera comes as big bundle, but noone is forcing you to use anything you dont want. It's not like we are talking Realplayer here!

    Incidently I've never had any troubles upgrading Opera either. Why should you have troubles upgrading a browser anyway?

    And Opera is faster & more responsive than Firefox has ever been. Using Firefox I still feel impatient every now and then knowing how fast Opera did respond in similar situastions.

    So why did I switch from Opera to Firefox? Gmail and my online-banking didn't work in Opera, and I refused to use IE. In the end I got too fed up having to switch browsers. And I needed to get my mail checked and bills paid.

    However Im not so narrow-minded I can't see the market for Opera. In fact if there is one thing I hate about Firefox: it's the lousy cache. Loisy crappy only to IE cache. When I press back in Opera, Im back when the mousebutton is released. When I do that in Firefox on my 1GB 2.4GHz P4 I still have to wait several seconds. Which is totally unacceptable.

    And for all you Firefox fans out there. Remember all these features like tabed-browsing, popup-stoppers, user-agent switcher, plugin-control and stuff like that which you use to promotote Firefox? Remember how Firefox copied those from Opera? Nothing wrong with reusing a good idea, Im not saying that! But dissing Opera while getting your main attractions from it at the same time... Well, it just smells bad.

    Yours sincerely, a less zealous Firefox user.

    --
    Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
    1. Re:Ad-blocking doesn't have to be in the browser by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      When I press back in Opera, Im back when the mousebutton is released. When I do that in Firefox on my 1GB 2.4GHz P4 I still have to wait several seconds. Which is totally unacceptable.

      That's because Opera caches the DOM (rendered page) while Gecko does not. Yet.

    2. Re:Ad-blocking doesn't have to be in the browser by OberonX · · Score: 1

      gmail now worksin opera 8.

    3. Re:Ad-blocking doesn't have to be in the browser by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Switch back: you can actually use Gmail and secure banking in this new version of Opera.

      I've been using it for years now, and it's one of the first pieces of software I install on any computer. Fast, small, efficient, feature-loaded. Mouse gestures. Tabbed browsing. Panels. Email client. Much more. All built in.

      Try it, you may be surprised.

    4. Re:Ad-blocking doesn't have to be in the browser by Jmechy · · Score: 1

      I know my bank (wellsfargo) still will not allow Opera, at least as of Opera 8 beta 3 (the version previous to 8.0 final).

  60. Re:Opera is 'cheaper' then Firefox by drmaxx · · Score: 1

    Opera runs very decent on my 300 MHz system (yes, the OS is from the dark side). After using Firefox for a while I had the urge to get a new computer. So, spending 30 bucks for Opera is much cheaper then the 300 bucks for new hardware. Same argument holds for Thunderbird and Eudora.

  61. You're forgetting mobile devices by Werrismys · · Score: 1
    Mobile firefox is still at least six months away. Opera on the other hand works very well on series 60 phones. I believe the browser I'm typing this on is Opera-based as well (using nokia 9300).

    The PC Opera may fade, remember, its original claim to fame was SPEED on older hardware. Mobile Opera is way too mature for any competitor to surpass anytime soon.

    --
    'Once scientists, even the dim-witted social scientists, get muzzled, the Western Civilization is finished.' - oldhack
  62. who cares about the ads in the free version? by beefguts · · Score: 1, Troll

    I'm a little tired of listening to people bitch about "why should I pay for opera when I can get --- for free....". Download the free version of opera, and ignore the small ad which is less than 1" tall and tucked away in a tool bar that wouldn't be part of the web page anyways. If you can't manage to ignore this little ad, then you should try looking at the web page you're browsing instead of looking for problems with the browser itself. You're the type of wanker who complain about the quality of a stereo because they listen to the noise instead of the music. Self righteous bunch of wankers...
    These whiners are going to say something along the lines that these ads are spyware or some other load of crap. Opera has the best security standards as well as the best control over popups and cookies. They are the most respectful of user's privacy out there. So quit you're bellyaching.

    1. Re:who cares about the ads in the free version? by necronom426 · · Score: 1

      I have been using the free Opera version for years. The ad bar is only 9mm high on the skin I am using. I never even notice it. I have it set to Google Ads, so I don't get flashy graphical ads, just a bit of text.

      One thing I don't understand is why it costs so much to get rid of the ads. I would actually LIKE to pay them for the non-ad version, but it's too expensive. If it was about £5 then I'd register in a second (and I'm sure 10's of thousands of other people would as well).

  63. cross platform? by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 1

    Last time I looked at Opera the mac version sucked donkey balls. Has Opera ever upgraded it to be on par with the windows version? What about Linux? Sorry guys until it works well on my primary system, I'm certainly not going to pay for a proprietary, closed source browser on one of my tertiary machines.

    1. Re:cross platform? by alexander+m · · Score: 1

      yes actually. there was a period where they almost gave up on mac, but then decided to keep going after all - as a result the mac version 8 release has a beta1 candidate at the moment, with a full release to follow shortly. ditto linux, although the 8.0 final might only be days away there (i'm running 8.0beta3 on linux, and 8.0 final on windows) ;)

    2. Re:cross platform? by Esine · · Score: 1

      Well, I've only used Opera 6 and Opera 7.0 on Windows .. but on Linux, this works perfectly, of course (versions 7.0 --> 8.0)

  64. Also cool in opera by Lunacite · · Score: 2, Informative

    If you fuck up and close a tab you wanted, you can undo. In fact, as long as you haven't closed opera, you can open any closed tabs that you had in the session.

    1. Re:Also cool in opera by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      That feature was in Opera 7, but has been removed in Opera 8. Thank the developers!

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    2. Re:Also cool in opera by gasaraki · · Score: 1

      What are you talking about? It's still here and completely functional. They even added the trash can icon to give it a more prominent place in the GUI.

    3. Re:Also cool in opera by :jax: · · Score: 1

      No, it hasn't been removed. It has got an icon of its own (the trash can). Personally I prefer the option to have a Window menu and then the closed windows reside in that menu too, just like in Opera 7.

    4. Re:Also cool in opera by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Ummm, no. It's still there. It's either rolled into the trashcan with blocked pop-ups, or if you go back to the old tab functionality (oddly enough by UNchecking "show x on each tab" [here I think still a bad UI choice, having tab/Advanced Opera Workspace like in the betas made more sense IMHO as the tick changes more than the x's on the tabs, but whatever) it's under the window menu like always.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    5. Re:Also cool in opera by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      It was scheduled for removal in the last feature list I saw. Now that I finally downloaded Opera (thank opera.com's idiotic .pl script that redirects you to a mirror instead of just linking there...when opera.com is hosed, the mirrors are hosed too...great design there that totally defeats the purpose of a mirror) I see that the re-open closed window feature is missing from the pull-down menus, and needs to be re-enabled from an obscure customization page that's buried in the preferences.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  65. You might want to have a look at this by gasaraki · · Score: 1
    1. Re:You might want to have a look at this by Homburg · · Score: 1

      I don't think that's relavent, because the OP's example didn't use XSL-FO, it used XSLT to transform XML to HTML. The article you linked to argues against serving formatting objects, because you lose device independence and semantics. But serving XML and and XSLT transform (particularly a transform to HTML) doesn't have either of those problems (as the article itself acknowledges).

  66. Re:I guess I'm he only one... by kanarde · · Score: 1

    It is not as slim as k-meleon by default, but it can easily be changed to be as slim, or perhaps, even more slim (depending on what parts of the browser you find important). And by easy I mean point'n click and drag & drop.

    Just right click on any toolbar and click customize. You can move/remove toolbars and remove/move/add elements on those toolbars (i.e. Don't want a back button, get rid of it. Don't like where the back button is? Move it. Don't like tabs on top, move them to the bottom, or either side...).

    Just about everything can be removed or moved.

  67. I might switch back by grungebox · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I used Opera for four years, from 2000-2004, then switched to Firefox for 2 main reasons:
    1) Smaller menu bar at the top
    2) I felt like a change

    To be honest, though, Firefox was a bitch to set up with my three favorite features from Opera:
    1)Mouse gestures - the Firefox extension's all-in-one gestures default to different gestures than the opera ones, which was annoying to fix, but not a big deal. Opera's defaults are more intuitive, too.
    2) Save session. It took me awhile to find a good working version of this for Firefox, but I loved resuming my session when I closed Opera.
    3) Quickly turn on and off pop-ups with F12. Still no good solution in Firefox, as far as I've found.

    The fact that Firefox needs an extension for single-window mode is also kind of stupid and annoying. Other people have said this above, but good grief, people, Firefox owes a LOT to Opera. In fact, in a comparison I like Opera more. It's not IE. Firefox is NOT the end all of browsers; it's on par with Opera. Once I get bored with Firefox, I'll probably switch back. And the ad is a small price to pay for promoting a good product. It's a small bar, and if you hate it that much the inevitable crack takes maybe 1 minute of Googling to find.

    1. Re:I might switch back by FyberOptic · · Score: 1

      I agree entirely with the need for session saving. I also wish the system tray support was much better than just a simple extension that doesn't work perfectly.

      I used to use Avant (IE with all the features of Opera, basically) before going to Firefox, and I really miss just being able to close my browser window, then bring it back up from the icon in the tray (instantly, I might add) and then still having all my pages loaded.

    2. Re:I might switch back by sharkey · · Score: 1
      Quickly turn on and off pop-ups with F12. Still no good solution in Firefox, as far as I've found.

      Have you tried the Google Toolbar?

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    3. Re:I might switch back by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No offence, but what kind of jackass are you? In Opera, you can get rid of everything except the file menu bar AND you can switch to full screen with mouse gestures. How's that for smaller menu bar?

  68. Parent = FLAMEBAIT! Read the other answers! by dallaylaen · · Score: 1

    Why is an insulting comment modded insightful?

    It would be insightful if the author have tried 7.54 and 8.0 and said: "No, I've taylored my Firefox much better, just look at the extention list".

    But maybe some moderators haven't tried Opera either, or just hate it for some reason? Well, there could be such reasons... I just don't have one.

    There are numerous thing that keep me with Opera... The main is that everytime I download Firefox I tend to make Opera out of it by using tons of extentions. Why bother with google and downloads then?

    Where is the "load this particular image" button in Firefox? Switch-images-on-the-fly? (G in Opera) Stop-showing-me-green-on-purple-5px-font? (Ctrl-G)

    I've once lost ISP account information by pressing back in Firefox... Because I didn't know it reloads everything in sight by default. When one presses back, it means just "remind me please what it's all about" not "load that again, I've spent too little bandwidth".

    Opera has shortcomings, of course. But Opera never annoys me, unlike other *cough IE cough* browsers. The FF is improving (and I actually like it from 0.8), but Opera is still a valid competitor at least. One should learn from one's rivals, not just ignore them.

    PS: What I'd rather see in both browsers:

    o "Resume loading page" button (ever lost connection to an on-line library?)
    o "Load images below X*Y pixels (forum controls, smileys, etc)
    o (FF has ext) delete *this* image NOW!!
    o (Opera has for ages) show *this* image NOW!!
    o Treat flash like images (it's visual and unsearchable, after all)

    No, I won't write that myself (at least now). Why add bad code to FF?

    --
    WYSIWIG, but what you see might not be what you need
  69. Better features without the bloat by DeathPenguin · · Score: 1

    I use Firefox on the school computers, but I usually find myself installing at least two or three extensions before it feels even remotely close to my Opera setup at home. Sometimes I have to try many extensions that perform the same function because the version of FF at school isn't necessarily compatible with the extensions listed on FF's extension site, even though the version numbers seem to match. It's almost as bad as dealing with RPM-hell all over again.

    I don't recall ever installing any third party software in Opera to make it work the way I like, it just always has these nice features built-in that far bulkier browsers seem to lack somehow. They also seem to be first with most of the best features such as mouse gestures, tabbed browsing, and integrated pop-up blocking. The most I've ever had to change my default Opera installation is to get a minimalistic icon set (Which was installed effortlessly with Opera's skin downloader and installer) to maximize content on my screen.

    Anyway, cheers to Opera and I hope to test their latest creation. I'm already looking forward to version 9!

  70. bittorrent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is exactly the kind of situation where a torrent could and should be used.

    *slap*

    1. Re:bittorrent by aerthling · · Score: 1

      Without any further stalling for time, I give you the torrent.

    2. Re:bittorrent by mudshark · · Score: 1

      No you don't:

      Login

      Access Denied
      Sorry this page is only for members.

      Username:
      Password:

      --
      In other news, astrophysicists have announced that they now know what all that dark matter is: it's stupidity.
  71. Windows Mirror by Snarl · · Score: 1
    1. Re:Windows Mirror by questionlp · · Score: 1

      That link points to 8.0 Beta 1 for Windows. This is the directory for the release of 8.0 for Windows.

  72. Version 5!? by graaah · · Score: 0

    Version 5? Heh, you can't judge Opera 8 based on the impression you got from version 5.. It has improved loads since then.

    In my opinion, this is bigger news than Firefox. Firefox is hyped. It's an ok browser, and sure, extensions are cool. But with Opera i don't really need extensions. All the ones i usually install for FF, Opera has built in. And they are faster and more compatible.

    The exeption is adblock. But Opera has ways to block adds aswell, either with filters or the normal hosts file. And in any case, when adblock removes the adds, the site tends to look distorted. When the popups are removed, and if you like, gifs and flash aswell, the ads arent really THAT annyoing. And for the built in ads: I've been using Opera for years, with ads, as they never really bothered me. A few days ago i decided to buy it anyway, and seriously, 25$ (student price) isn't much money...

  73. Re:A case study of why software patents are needed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I agree absolutely. There is no essential reason why patents should be available to hardware but not software. (I can copy and paste identical code between Verilog and C files: one can be protected and the other can't.)

    The problems with patents are that they are sometimes granted to things that don't deserve them, that they disadvantage smaller companies and individuals compared to large (American) corporations, and that they last for too long; in the software industry I'd like to see patents give inventors maybe just 3 or 4 years headstart over their competitors.

    Another position that I would listen to seriously would be that all patents should be abolished because they are a restriction on our freedom. I'd contend that patents must only stop your ability to make money from using an invention; the freedom to make a profit is one that I am happier to repress than more personal freedoms ("the freedom to think").

  74. Re:I guess I'm he only one... by kgbspy · · Score: 1

    Sorry dude, when you can get your back/fwd/reload/etc buttons and your tabs on the same line as your menu, then I'll be impressed (having said that, if it is possible, I'd be quite happy to hear how it's done). Until then, Opera's claim to have the largest browsing area is untrue.

    --
    ~
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    ~
    -- INSERT --
  75. Re:Opera and Firefox [selective figures] by Danuvius · · Score: 1
    Did I mistakenly type "Opera Sucks" somewhere in my original post??

    well, since firefox is actually a descendent of mosaic/netscape/mozilla, which *used* to have 90%+ market share, you could say that the power of the open source methodology has enabled it's leading browser to *lose* 85% market share...

    Oddly, bringing up netscape supports what I was saying. Netscape the proprietary browser fell before Microsoft; Mozilla and Firefox are now retaking market-share as Free Software.

    however, this would be interpreting the figures in a startlingly unrealistic and selective way, wouldn't it?

    No... just making some fascinating conclusions that clearly do not follow from the stated facts.

    i'm not including the mozilla suite, or other appearances of gecko, etc. kind of what you're doing with that ridiculous figure above that looks at one measure of success only -- apparent desktop penetration ;)

    WTF?? Mozilla Firefox **by itself** is considered as having over 5% marketshare. (http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/19/05372 05) If I were to include all Gecko browsers, the number would be somewhere between 7% - 9%.

    As for the ridiculous figure looking at Desktop Penetration only one measure of success: from a user perspective it is perhaps not insignificant? After all how much web browsing (both in terms of % of users and % of time) takes place *not* on the Desktop? I imagine we do not need concrete figures to know that the vast majority of users access the internet via desktop computers for the majority of time.

    why do i say this? opera has an ever-increasing share in the mobile market, an area in which it is light-years ahead of the competition, and for which opera actually *makes money* -- yes, that's real money. firefox has 0% of this market. perhaps it will pick up some eventually, i understand there is a project heading in this direction. so what else... well, opera's rendering core now underpins the latest iteration of rendering for the newly revealed Adobe Creative Suite 2. hey, guess what - they got paid money for that too ;)

    Grand!

    so, from what i'm seeing, opera isn't exactly struggling. they have over 200 employees, they have revenue, they have direction, and thus far every interesting new browser feature seems to have originated with them. the mouse gestures, the tabbed browsing, etc. opera did it first -- and i am quite happy to see them provoke yet more innovation in the browser market. heck, even something as seemingly simple as page-zoom has yet to be implemented as effectively on anything else (not counting font scaling -- seriously, the way opera does it is far, far better than anyone else's efforts)

    I was assuming that a company whose flagship product is a desktop web browser would probably want increased marketshare. And, after a number of years, Opera has far less marketshare than the recent newcomer Firefox.

    You seem to suggest that their interest may lie elsewhere. You might be right. If Opera did not want to gain greater marketshare in the desktop web browser arena, than indeed they did not fail at the task.

    nevertheless, my preferred browser is opera, i paid for it and enjoy it's superior responsiveness, but i also support and use firefox. indeed, i have encouraged many friends and colleagues to install firefox instead, depending on their requirements.

    Grand. To be clear, at no point did I make any comment on Opera's quality or on Firefox's quality.

    Let me quote my own post:

    What that suggests to me is that the Browser market was in fact quite open to a better solution, and Opera despite years of trying failed to fully take advantage of the opportu

    --
    Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
  76. Screenshots... by jswalter9 · · Score: 1

    Why are the bottom edges of the screenshots faded out? I wanted to see if Opera has the Mozilla-esque feature of providing link information and such at the bottom of the window.

    --
    Retired from software... maybe. Sort of.
    1. Re:Screenshots... by gasaraki · · Score: 1

      It does. I think it's off by default though, so just go View->Toolbars->Status Bar. That shows the link URL you've hovering over.

      Infomation in loading progress however is displayed on a really cool thing called the Progress bar that appears dynamically while loading a page and gives you a lot of useful info. You can change its position in Tools->Appearance->Toolbars->Progress bar. I think it appears in the URL bar by default, but you can move it down the bottom so it pops just above the Status bar (which is what I do).

  77. You FOSS guys FOSS yourselves blind. by trezor · · Score: 1, Troll

    As a lot of people probably will comment there is a lot to be said for Opera compared to for instance Firefox. I'm not going to repeat that once again in this thread as I have in thousand of other similar threads, as I'm sure someone else will do that for me.

    What I can't get about the FOSS zealots (I'm takling about the zealots here, not the sane people) is that they seem to think that free and open-source software will save the planet and that is all it takes. What they seem to forget is that for that to work in the first place, you need open standards.

    Anyone care to show me a fully legal open-source DVD-player? With all the required libraries and decryption codes included? Didn't think so.

    Focusing on open-source software alone is shortsighted beyond belief. You would think that the open-source community would have the wits to aknowledge the importance of other products embracing open standards, but given the response I see to every single Opera-story on slashdot: obviously not.

    And wasn't open-source about to be about choice? Rideculing a alternative simply because it doesn't suit you in each and every way seems kind of hypcritical in this sense.

    I use Firefox myself, but I'm there is in fact lot's of things I like about Opera where Firefox doesn't cut it. Even if there wasn't I'd still appreciate the fact there are other "major" browsers out there wich recognises the fact that the web needs open standards.

    Please un-narrow your mind.

    --
    Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
    1. Re:You FOSS guys FOSS yourselves blind. by McGarnacle · · Score: 1

      I find it interesting that having read through this thread up to this point, this is the first time I've seen someone pull out the "FF is open source and Opera is not!" argument. Maybe a few bickerings about Opera's banner ad thingy -- but no direct mention of open source at all, until now. And yet, here are the screams of persecution at the hands "FOSS zealots". Heck, I don't even disagree with what you have to say (hello .sigmonster), necessarily. Just the time you chose to say it seems amusing.

      Pre-emptive counter-attack then, I guess?

      --

      I disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to tell such LIES!

  78. Re:A case study of why software patents are needed by Mant · · Score: 1

    The thing that amazed me about tabbed browsing is non-browser programs were going it for years before hand, and it took so long for web browsers to have it.

    I wouldn't think doing something pre-existing, but in a browser is anymore patent worthy than doing something pre-existing but on the internet.

    If Opera continues to invest in R&D it will continue to innovate, and continue to be ahead of the competition (I use Firefox, but Opera does seem to always be ahead innovation wise). Hence the pay off for R&D.

    So R&D is a continual process giving continual results. It seems rather unreasonable to expect one R&D development to just keep paying for ever (or the patent duration). That would seem to me more harmful to technological advance as you can just rest on your laurels as it were.

  79. Re:I guess I'm he only one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    "when you can get your back/fwd/reload/etc buttons and your tabs on the same line as your menu, then I'll be impressed"
    You can simply disable the menu bar in Opera. You can then add menus to whatever toolbar you want visible.
  80. Best browser for dial-up users (and broadband) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, there are a few of us left. Opera has me sold because of the little button on the toolbar that switches between All Images, Cached Images, or No Images. When on dial up, being able to turn off the images with a simple click (not have to dig through the menus each time) makes my surfing much more enjoyable. If i want to look at an image, i right click it, then click show image. If firefox had a button like that, I'd use it instead of opera in a heartbeat.

    I have to admit that Im really suprised no one else likes this feature. I use it at the office even though we're on broadband.

    1. Re:Best browser for dial-up users (and broadband) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I love this feature. I'm on dialup a lot, so I usually browse with Cached Images and either load individual images or hit G to load everything if I need lots of images on a page.

      This wouldn't be enough to make me switch to FF, but it would go a long way towards making those times when I use FF more enjoyable.

  81. I find it as useful as by KingBahamut · · Score: 0, Troll

    Tubgirl.

    --
    "God of Rock, thank you for this chance to kick ass. "
  82. Good news ! by Digital+Warfare · · Score: 0

    I do enjoy Opera, I think its an excellent browser and I have been using it since my early Linux days.
    The only thing that annoyed me in 8 was the fact that it wouldn't refresh a page properly and would load the contents of something a couple of hours old !
    Anyone else experienced this ?

    --
    "Sweet llamas of the Bahamas !"
    1. Re:Good news ! by gasaraki · · Score: 1

      No idea, I've havent experienced anything like that. You could try changing the default document cache lifespan though, in Prefs->Advanced->History->Check Documents. I have that set for Always to make sure I never pull down old pages. This way it will still use the cached copy if the page hasn't changed, but it will always check to see if it has just in case--note that this doesn't affect history transversal (always uses cache) or F5 reloading (always redownloads the document).

  83. Re:I guess I'm he only one... by alexander+m · · Score: 1

    heh, you can do this with v8 actually -- you can totally hide the menu toolbar with an ini setting (or key combo i think) and you can then hide the addrss/status bars and then simply drag/drop the back/forward/addressbar/etc onto the same line as the tabs using the customize dialog... it's remarkably easy ;) if you want all the toolbar menu entries accessible then you can also easily create a button from which all toolbar menus drop-down (eg: a button called "Menu" which has all the menus drop-down beneath it). this page shows you how -- it's as easy as drag & drop. http://people.opera.com/rijk/opera/dndbuttons.html

  84. Opera vs. Konqueror? by bobv-pillars-net · · Score: 1
    Everybody here is comparing Opera to Firefox. I'm a KDE user, so naturally I browse with Konqueror, switching to Firefox only for those sites that won't work in Konqi. With few exceptions, the sites that won't work in Konqi won't work in Opera, either. I quit using Opera some time ago, even though my license was paid for and up-to-date. Konqi started rendering as well or better, and crashed less often (at least on Debian/Sid). However, I'm insterested in this new version. Does anybody here use Opera with KDE? Has anybody compared v.8 with Konqueror?
    (Off to download the .deb package...)
    --
    The Web is like Usenet, but
    the elephants are untrained.
  85. Important Advanced Preferences Info by MrBlue+VT · · Score: 1

    With version 8.0, Opera has "improved" the interface by dumbing it down to the least common denominator. They've eliminated the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) by default and added really annoying close tab buttons on each and every tab. The lack of MDI means you can not resize a tab within the browser window.

    To fix these shortcomings and make Opera behave as it did in version 7.x, you need to go to the hidden "Advanced Preferences". After 30 minutes of searching, the only way I could access this dialog was by clicking the link located at Operawatch.

    Slashdot will not let me post the appropriate link correctly, but it is "opera:/button/Show%20Preferences,100,,,top10". If that does not work properly, add the following to your standard_toolbar.ini file: Button9, "Show preferences"="Show preferences, 100, , , "top10""

    Eventually you should get a new button on your toolbar (you may have to go to Customize Toolbar to manually add it to a toolbar you have displayed), which you will have to click to access the Advanced Preferences. Once you are in the dialog, go to Windows and select Advanced Opera Workspace.

    1. Re:Important Advanced Preferences Info by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is a simpler way:

      Go to Preferences -> Tick off "Show close button on tabs". The advanced workspace will be enabled.

    2. Re:Important Advanced Preferences Info by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wonder how you could actually manage to miss the following option in the new preferences dialogue on the 'general' tab:

      "Show close button on each tab"

      Simply remove the tick and you're back to what was during the beta period clumsily called the "advanced opera workspace".

    3. Re:Important Advanced Preferences Info by MrBlue+VT · · Score: 1

      Wow, I thought I had searched that whole dialog box for a way to do it and I hadn't seen that. That is a much easier way.

      The method I outlined will give you the old preferences dialog, which looks like it might have access to a few additional features.

    4. Re:Important Advanced Preferences Info by gasaraki · · Score: 1

      This is really confusing. When I installed Opera 8 it was just the opposite, it installed with the MDI mode by default. You're right however in that I see no way to change it in the revamped preferences dialog.

    5. Re:Important Advanced Preferences Info by gasaraki · · Score: 1

      Addendum: Turning off the close buttons on the tabs is one of the first things I did, so presumably thats why I never noticed the 'problems' apparently caused by leaving them on (the simplified tabs mode). This makes much more sense now.

    6. Re:Important Advanced Preferences Info by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Or, you know, you could read the changelog and go alt-p
      in the general tab uncheck "show close button on each tab".

      You know. Just to make it easier.

      I do agree the name is pretty much right but totally misleading as to all of what it does.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    7. Re:Important Advanced Preferences Info by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or how about you fucking read one of the other 3 replies above you that say the exact same fucking thing.

  86. Mod parent up by Dolda2000 · · Score: 1

    Who modded this to zero? How is this not informative?

  87. The way I got hooked on Opera by huges84 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I found that like many things, you don't appreciate Opera until you've actually experienced what it has to offer. It is one of those things that takes a paradigm shift. 30 Days to Becoming an Opera 7 Lover http://tntluoma.com/opera/lover/7/ After trying out all the features pointed out on this site, I was hooked for good. Anyone interested in Opera should read that. No, it doesn't have to take more than 1 day to go through the guide. Yes, everything there should still apply to Opera 8. New features added since then are listed in the changelog and discussed by fanboys all over the forums. A few things I really like about Opera: -To search for something on Google just type "g something" into the adress bar. You can enter in any operators you would type in Google. Several different sites are built-in and you can add your own. -Text entered in forms is kept even after leaving the page and coming back to it (for times you get an error or need to get info from another page) -Many great skins, all of which you can instantly change the color scheme for. -Quick, sorted search any feild of any bookmark, email, note, or address book entry -Press F4 for quick access to a panel that gives quick access to search, bookmarks, mail, contacts, notes, transfers, window/tab manager, history, IRC chat, and info about the page your visiting. -Completely customizable toolbars and ability to create buttons. -Don't load images or only load from cache. -Disable sound, GIF animations, java, plugins, referrer logging, cookies, or proxies by pressing F12 -Auto-saving of sessions -Mouse gestures, but not just the click-drag ones. To go forward simply hold down the left mouse button and tap the right one. Or hold the right and tap the left to go back. This is by far the greatest user interface invention EVER.

  88. Use proxomitron... by tit0.c · · Score: 2, Informative

    Use the proxomitron or some other ad blocker and keep using Opera.
    I find proxomitron works much better than Adblock even though it looks like it`s not being developed anymore sadly.There are plenty of alternatives though.
    Now the only feature I would like to see in Opera is the Flash click to play thingy like firefox has.

    1. Re:Use proxomitron... by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Proxomitron can/does do that. I use grypens set, and it does that. I have it linked to a dl I host of that in my sig.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    2. Re:Use proxomitron... by tit0.c · · Score: 1

      You are my hero now..thank you.
      Do you know if Proxomitron is still being developed? As far as I know the original developer abandoned it.Is it open source now or something?

    3. Re:Use proxomitron... by jp10558 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Proxomitron is not being developed anymore. Sadly, the writer died. No one has the source that I know of.

      There is a clone being developed called Proximodo, search sourceforge for more info.

      The filtersets are still being developed, as indicated by the date of the filterset.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
  89. If only 8 users by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why is dl site /.ed?

  90. One direct link... by dantheman82 · · Score: 1
    --
    This sig donated to Pater. Long live /.
  91. Free full Opera v7.54 by dantheman82 · · Score: 0, Troll

    By the way, you can enter code OJD000MN to get Opera Browser v7.54 for free. An email with the license key will be sent. Final v8.0 is out but the license only works on v7.54 or v8.0 beta.

    --
    This sig donated to Pater. Long live /.
  92. Image viewing and Gmail in FF/Opera by gosand · · Score: 1
    All the good features in Firefox (gestures, tabbed browsing) were around for a long time in Opera. Likewise, if you've ever used GMail, you have used an imitation of Opera's M2 mail client.

    Yes, I have used Gmail. In fact, using Gmail was what made me switch from Opera to Firefox. Gmail didn't work with Opera.

    Here is something that Firefox messed up - How about allowing me to have a separate program open images? I don't want FF to handle images in web pages, I want them to open in Irfanview. I can't get this to work in FF (1.0.2). They just took away the option. I tried an extension, it didn't work. Firefox, why take away functionality?

    If Gmail works with this new version of Opera, I may have to switch back. It's zoom and mouse gestures are better. If I accidentally close my last tab in Opera, the browser doesn't shut down. i.e. I can have Opera open with no tabs open. If I do that in FF, the browser closes (grrrrrr). With mouse gestures, it is easy to do.

    --

    My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

    1. Re:Image viewing and Gmail in FF/Opera by generic-man · · Score: 1

      Other folks in this thread suggest that Opera 8 now works with GMail. Personally, I'd think it better to just use GMail's POP access with Opera M2. The only thing you'd lose would be the GMail labels.

      --
      For more information, click here.
    2. Re:Image viewing and Gmail in FF/Opera by Shadwhawk · · Score: 1

      If Gmail works with this new version of Opera, I may have to switch back.

      Gmail worked with Opera 7.54 as of Gmail's upgrade of a couple months ago.

    3. Re:Image viewing and Gmail in FF/Opera by ashot · · Score: 1

      gmail labels = m2 filters

      --
      -ashot
  93. A very polished product by __aahrlq8808 · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I decided to try Opera out and I'm quite impressed with the care put into it. In addition to rendering blazingly fast on my old PII-266, the pages scale easily to my 800x600 monitor.

    Other smaller things I also liked, like how link addresses pop up in a tooltip on mouseover. This allowed me to cut out the statusbar without travelling blind. It can still show during page loads, but doesn't take up space during viewing. A nice touch too was the way tab favicons shrink as more tabs open up, allowing more room on the row.

    I've been a diehard Firefox fanboy because of the customizability (and full Gmail support), but I'd like to see some of these features in upcoming releases.

    1. Re:A very polished product by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's the main thing I love about Opera: its polish. The whole program is just smooth. All those little details, like the status bar only popping up while the page is loading, add up to a nice package. And the fact that I don't have to download extensions for tiny features that should be intrinsic to the program, like tab reordering, is a major plus. I can only stand having to search, find, and pray over a certain amount of extensions ("will it work on this version of firefox?" "does the author support it anymore?" "is it compatible with my other extensions?" "is it buggy?").

      However, it doesn't support Gmail fully so I've stuck with Firefox.

      Unfortunately, I've come to realize that Firefox will never have the level of polish that Opera has. That's kind of the nature of open source programs.

  94. www.opera.com down.. ?Download if from a mirror.. by edwardtls · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://ftp.tiscali.nl/opera/ -- if you can't download it from www.opera.com... I can't... Only I do know we have a mirror.. ;) [] Edward TLS

  95. Actually by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There was one feature in 5 that Opera got rid of that I really liked: Windows Home Pages. I had a default setup of 12 or so windows and could return to the default page of any with a single button. I still haven't figured out why Opera got rid of that. There are other ways to do it, but none are as simple or easy.
    Also, Opera probably has the best and easiest accessibilityy features off the shelf for the price.

  96. Offtopic, but Im just wondering? by trezor · · Score: 1

    What part og GPG/PGP is it that you consider DRM?

    GPG at least is an open standard, and when decrypted no-one is forcing you to keep the content locked down.

    Do you consider SSH DRMed Telnet? Just asking.

    --
    Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
    1. Re:Offtopic, but Im just wondering? by oever · · Score: 1

      Encrypting your stuff and allowing only some people to read and verifying the senders (your) identity is what both DRM and GPG/PGP do. The latter is an open standard for that. DRM is not linked to a specific implementation but a hyped name for the same process. DRM is (supposed to mean) Digital Rights Management but isn't where GPG/PGP actually _is_.

      --
      DNA is the ultimate spaghetti code.
  97. Re:Yay Opera! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Opera.
    Free.
    Fast.
    Firefox? Don't care.

  98. Lets be reasonable here by trezor · · Score: 1
    • Opera has been around for how many years now? Version 8. It has about (based on thecounter.com) 1% marketshare.
      Firefox has been around (as a Browser "on the map") for surely no more than 2 years. And it is at 5%+ marketshare already.

    Except that before Firefox was Firefox it was Mozilla Firebird, and before that it was Mozilla Pheonix, and before that it was Mozilla and before that it was Netscape Navigator, which probably makes it a little bit more than 2 years. Argue as much as you like, but Firefox is basicly just the evolution of Netscape with the bloat added and removed midstream.

    People didn't jump onto Firefox out of nowhere. Many were deep into the Mozilla/Netscape thing to begin with. The people who have jumped on to Firefox probably used Navigator until it bloated into oblivion and got back when the Mozilla foundation had a made a good product out of it again.

    If you are going to show of the supiriority of Open Source please use somewhat factual facts, so you don't make the open-source community look like blatant liars.

    --
    Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
    1. Re:Lets be reasonable here by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      Except that before Firefox was Firefox it was Mozilla Firebird, and before that it was Mozilla Pheonix, and before that it was Mozilla and before that it was Netscape Navigator, which probably makes it a little bit more than 2 years. Argue as much as you like, but Firefox is basicly just the evolution of Netscape with the bloat added and removed midstream. People didn't jump onto Firefox out of nowhere. Many were deep into the Mozilla/Netscape thing to begin with. The people who have jumped on to Firefox probably used Navigator until it bloated into oblivion and got back when the Mozilla foundation had a made a good product out of it again. If you are going to show of the supiriority of Open Source please use somewhat factual facts, so you don't make the open-source community look like blatant liars.
      I think, in the future, I will avoid posting to Opera related articles. The fanboyism and the emotion is too much to struggle against.

      Blatant liars? Please.

      And Firefox is a browser from scratch, it is my understanding. So the evolution is conceptual, not programmatic.

      Interestingly, the Mozilla Suite which *is* a direct descendent of Netscape is not doing nearly as well as Firefox.

      The two years I was noting are years where Firefox is a real player. Even if you count from Phoenix, I don't imagine we are looking at the same length of time as Opera--and ultimately, that was my point; Firefox (including version under its past names) is younger than Opera yet more successful.

      And, I feel the need to point out: I used the word "strength", you are the one using the word "superiority".

      I said what I meant, no more, no less.
      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
    2. Re:Lets be reasonable here by trezor · · Score: 1

      Well, I'll stand for my post as well.

      Firefox uses the Gecko engine which is inherited from the Mozilla suite, which again comes from Netscape. So Firefox, even though it is a standalone project, it does depend on code that was being developed long before the Firefox-project was even started.

      If you can agree to this, you can also agree to that Firefox represents a evolutionary fork from Netscape. And that is what I meant by my post. Had Firefox started out on ground-zero it would have been nowhere near usable as a webbrowser today.

      Your's sincerely a happy, but reasonable Firefox user.

      --
      Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
    3. Re:Lets be reasonable here by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      Well, I'll stand for my post as well.

      Firefox uses the Gecko engine which is inherited from the Mozilla suite, which again comes from Netscape. So Firefox, even though it is a standalone project, it does depend on code that was being developed long before the Firefox-project was even started.

      If you can agree to this, you can also agree to that Firefox represents a evolutionary fork from Netscape. And that is what I meant by my post. Had Firefox started out on ground-zero it would have been nowhere near usable as a webbrowser today.

      Your's sincerely a happy, but reasonable Firefox user.
      You are right and I was mistaken. I did not realise Gecko dated from Netscape days (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gecko_(layout_engine )).

      As for "happy, but reasonable firefox user"--I am quickly tiring of the unceasing emotionalism of this article's comments regardless of what browser you use.

      Thanks for clearing the Gecko issue up for me though.
      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
  99. Ad Block by yoshi_mon · · Score: 2, Informative

    While I tend to install Firefox on end users computers because it's free I myself use Opera.

    As has been noted by others in this thread once you have Opera installed your pretty much done save for configuring it the way you like it. With Firefox you have to install a number of plugins to get that same level of functionality and hope that they will run with the current version of Firefox.

    But the real point I want to make here is that while Opera does not have a native ad blocker in place I have always simply used my hosts file as a universal ad blocking mechanism. Dan Pollock maintains a great one on his site and I've yet to find a false positive in it.

    The best part about going this route is that all programs on your machine get the benefit of blocking these ad servers or whatever else you care to put in the file. So if you ever have to, , use IE on a website that refuses to work with anything else you are still protected.

    --

    Really, I know what I'm doing...Ohhhh, look at the shiny buttons!
  100. Feature comparison link. by g0_p · · Score: 1

    http://www.opera.com/products/desktop/compare/ Here is a feature comparison link. You can surely guess what "Browser 1" and "Browser 2" are..

  101. Hope it will support KDE with correct colors now by stiebing.ja · · Score: 2, Interesting
    With Opera 7.5 (and Debian Woody) I had the KDE related problem that
    Background-Color: ActiveCaption;
    Color: CaptionText;
    rendered as black on black while every other browser I tried rendered correctly. Due to Opera really is my favorite browser, that really got on my nerves. Also some special characters like
    &laqou;
    did not look like they should - well we will see if they got it out after the beta now...
    --
    I lag
  102. Re:Opera and Firefox [selective figures] by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And you wrote selectively...go peddle your kippers else where troll.

  103. 8.0 Supports Gmail by __aahrlq8808 · · Score: 1

    Gmail in the new 8.0 version now works. That's my biggest stumbling block out of the way.

  104. Best pr0n browser evar! by cocotoni · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's strange that noone of the ./ crowd has mentioned that Opera is the best browser for porn.

    With the smart use of space button, and ability to load the images in succession as they are linked on the page helps a lot when you are just too... uhm... distracted... to use the mouse.

    1. Re:Best pr0n browser evar! by Mr.Progressive · · Score: 1

      Hey man, with the appropriate extensions, Firefox is pretty good for viewing pornographic materials. That is, if you're into that sort of thing.

      --
      Okay, so a philosopher, a philologist, and a philatelist walk into a bar...
  105. Well, they at least have a minyan now... by jejones · · Score: 1

    ...because I've grabbed a copy to try out.

    Unlike Opera 7, I can actually find the various settings, and it at least seems to be very fast. Lacking ad blocking, though (not the ads that the free version of the browser puts on screen, which are fairly unobtrusive and that I'm willing to live with, but the ones we all know and hate), will keep me on Firefox.

    1. Re:Well, they at least have a minyan now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, I know, we all really, really hate those ads. It's just like rooms with paintings or pictures on the walls or something, too much stuff in one place just confuses me.

    2. Re:Well, they at least have a minyan now... by Horkdoom · · Score: 1

      What ads are you trying to block? I have never had problems with popups in Opera, and if it is a popup I want to recieve it informs me that one has been blocked and I can click to view it.

  106. Re:I guess I'm he only one... by dreemernj · · Score: 1

    I will have to try that out. I have always liked how customizable O is and lately I have been using it in conjunction with LiteStep (replacing explorer) where I tweaked the fullscreen option so that when you hit F11 in Opera it leaves room on the bottom to see my LiteStep menus. Doing that leaves the Opera window with nothing in it (not even file menus or the title bar). Then I just open a new window in it and the buttons and address bar are visible at the top (and hideable via keyboard shortcut for when I don't need them). The only thing there is, the tabs are not visible. I am used to using ctrl+tab to switch between them anyway so its not a problem for me but it doesn't achieve what was mentioned higher up in the thread. But, if you are looking for Maximum screen useability I haven't seen anything better then this.

    --
    1 (short ton / firkin) = 89.1432354 slugs / keg
  107. You know by Pinefresh · · Score: 1

    For a browser people seem to love to bash, The page is still being slowed down from all the people (probably from /.) heading over to DL it.

  108. In any case by trezor · · Score: 1

    What I reacted on in your post had nothing to do with the oh-so traditional Firefox vs. Opera flamewar.

    It was the statement that could easily be read as that the open-source model had achieved much more than the proprietary in just a forth of the time. That was what I found unreasonable and triggered my reaction.

    As much as I like the idea of open source software, I think lots of its fanbase behave rather singlemindedly and I guess that annoys me. Personally I don't think there is such a thing as a "perfect" development model which applies to everything.

    --
    Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
    1. Re:In any case by Danuvius · · Score: 1
      What I reacted on in your post had nothing to do with the oh-so traditional Firefox vs. Opera flamewar.

      It was the statement that could easily be read as that the open-source model had achieved much more than the proprietary in just a forth of the time. That was what I found unreasonable and triggered my reaction.

      As much as I like the idea of open source software, I think lots of its fanbase behave rather singlemindedly and I guess that annoys me. Personally I don't think there is such a thing as a "perfect" development model which applies to everything.
      I know nothing about the oh-so traditional Firefox vs. Opera battle... other than the plethora of overreactions I got on my post.

      The Free Software model did in fact allow more to be achieved in a short period of time (short in terms of firefox development only). Firefox may be standing on the shoulders on Netscape; but then Opera could have done the same had they been producing Free Software. Or Opera could have purchased an existing browser engine and modify/change/adapt/evolve it to their needs and vision.

      I never suggested innate technological superiority or programming brilliance behind Firefox. I suggested that it is because it is Free Software that it was able to capitalise so well on the opportunity that Opera failed to take advantage of.

      Lastly, in response to your prior suggestion that Firefox users are mostly converts from Netscape: I was an Internet Explorer user who switched to Firefox. Not everyone hung on to the garbage Netscape browsers that were produced post-Netscape 3.4. Not all of Firefox's userbase is people who upgraded from Netscape. (Especcially as Netscape did not have the market-share that Firefox has for quite a while.)
      --
      Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
  109. Re:A case study of why software patents are needed by Anthet · · Score: 0

    Muddy Waters comes up with the conceptual innovations and then his music is spread over seas to England were a couple of lads* basicly uses the same style and conquers the whole world making a shitload of money.

    *Rolling Stones.

  110. Free Opera License by Polycom+Sucks · · Score: 0, Troll

    If you visit http://www.opera.com/ct-magazin/ and enter the code OJD000MN you can get a free license for Opera 7.54. My understanding is that 8.0 is considered an upgrade to 7.54 and is thus free, but I have not verified that.

    You will have to wait until the rush to download 8.0 dies down, however, as they are temporarily redirecting all pages.

  111. Re:Not being trollish, but... [generic-man] by Laebshade · · Score: 1
    Insightful eh?

    Opera may be smaller, and better in some respects, but your gripe about the adblocker in Forefox is unfounded. The right regular expression (per website of course) for the 'adblock' extension will block ads but not images. Hell, even "*ad*" would block nearly all ads but block almost no images (assuming you never came across 'ad' anywhere in a legimiate image url).

    You might be thinking of the built-in function of Firefox, "Block images from [site]". Besides, even if you were to use said built-in function, it would block the site serving the ads, like doubleclick, mediaplex, etc., and not images originating on the site you're looking at. There's also this neat little function that will only load images for originating site (in Options/Preference, under Web Features, check "for the originating site only").

    Let's take your "local newspaper" as an example since you seem to use it. Say "Pittsburgh Business Times" (which is where you live according to your website). Here's a url titled "Sales Power":
    http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/salespower/? jst=s_ep_lk
    Now of course, if you were to block http://*bizjournals* then you would block all images coming from that site (don't want that), although that still wouldn't block any ads that didn't originate on the site anyways. Let's take a look at a doubeclick url:
    http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v3|325f|c|19c|%2 a|f;14707869;0-0;0;11022531;4252-336|280;9249835|9 267731|1;;~sscs=%3fhttp://dc.bizjournals.com/event .ng/Type=click&FlightID=8876&AdID=12748&TargetID=2 367&Segments=1,11,16,438,1861,2032,2519,2554,2622, 2665&Targets=42,61,396,1708,1871,2336,2367,2439,24 73&Values=25,30,46,50,60,72,82,91,100,110,150,155, 202,305,341,473,565,730,751,830,872,933,949,951,95 9,960,961,962,980,994,996,997,1009&RawValues=GEOMA JORMETRO%2C%2CDOMAINTYPE%2C25%2CST_VERT_TOPIC%2Cbu siness_services__legal_services&Redirect=http%3a%2 f%2fwww.hp.com/sbso/solutions/legal/ad/tablet1100. html%3Fjumpid%3Dex_r295_link/kimsmbvertical/2Qlega l/default
    Long url, eh? Doubleclick is one of the most comment advertising hosts, but you can block anything with "doubleclick" in the url by using this expression: http://*doubleclick* Voila. That blocks nearly all ads on the page.

    So before you speak of adblocking features built into Firefox or available as addons, do a bit of research first, and don't discount Firefox simply because you're not experienced with it.
  112. Preaching to the choir by AriesGeek · · Score: 1

    I hate FOSS zealots as much as you do, probably more....

    But....

    Have you used Opera? Would you actually pay to use it? Me neither. That was my only point.

    --
    Insert offensive troll-style sig here. Please mod or respond appropriately.
  113. Recently tried FF by Dakisha · · Score: 1

    I've been using opera for several years now; I've also converted the parents over. About 2-3 days ago, I came across a rare site that didn't like opera (This happens maybe once a month tops - usually not even that), and downloaded firefox.

    My first impressions were less than favourable. Immediatly off the bat it was obviously slower, but that I could live with. My main complaints lie in the usability of it.

    In opera, I can hit 1/2 on either the number keys at the top, or on the numeric keypad - this jumps left/right one tab at a time; I couldn't find an equivilant in FF.

    The tab implimentation: In opera, if I have multiple tabs open, and am say browsing tab 3 - if I click tab 10, then click it again - it minimises tab 10, and takes me back to tab 3. As you would expect of properly focusing windows. If I close tab 10 instead of minimising it - it goes back to tab 3. In FF I can't even minimise a tab - I have to click to another one. And if I close it instead, it doesn't take me back where I was before - silly implimentation.

    Session managment: When you close opera and restart it - poof - I'm back where I left off, this changes browsing totally - you don't need to bookmark sites you only need for the afternoon/week - you just leave them open. If opera/pc crashes, or the power goes out - opera remembers where it was before, and starts from there. It also prompts you when it recovers from crashing, asking if you want to load all of your windows or start afresh - in case a page was killing it, and it gets into a loop cycle.

    Ctrl-Z - Undo closing a website, simple yet so handy.

    Opening new pages in a foreground/background tab with just a click+shortcut key; okay I've heard you can set a default action in FF - but in opera, I just hit shift for front, ctrl-shift for background. Middle mouse button click also dumps them in the background. All keyboard shortcuts are found next to the relevant mouse-click version.

    These are just a couple of things; and I know a lot of them are available via plugins - but opera just feels more polished to me. Besides. Why should I have to bother fixing the borked tab implimentation??

    In Opera, I can get around more easily, it saves me time and effort. This isn't supposed to be a critique of FF, merely a user who went to use FF and found a bunch of things he didn't much like.

    I have some complaints with opera aswell; it also takes a couple of mins to trash some of the silly bars it includes, remove some of the less useful buttons, and stick my tabs back on the bottom of my screen - but it takes a lot less time than hunting for a plugin that does what I want. Even if I didn't use the mail client/rss feeds from within opera (Which 8 has completely sorted), until FF feels as polished - I have no real reason to move.

    Dakisha

    1. Re:Recently tried FF by asdf.qwerty.zxcv · · Score: 1

      It's really encouraging to see so many Opera users. I've been using opera since version 4 and still stick to it. One thing people didn't mention was that opera was also the first to include integrated search into the interface (eg google search) yet once again FF users claim this feature as one of the reasons to d/l FF Another feature i'm absolutely surprised has no mention is navigation like internet tv. I use my laptop regularly and cant b bothered to bring an external mouse wen mobile. If you hold the shift button + direction keys you can navigate different links. And this isn't the primitive IE hyperlink navigation (ie. keep pressing tab) but navigates according to screen layout. Ok one more feature not mentioned. Say you want to go to a site you know but don't want to type the 'www' and '.com' In opera just type the address. Eg. want to visit www.google.com type google i don't see that ANYWHERE near IE or FF no matter the plugin. You can even customise it to complete in '.org' rather than '.com' etc. There are MANY features in Opera that i'm surprised the public are not aware of. Go the feature rich, fast browser!

  114. Safari not close at all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Safari 1.3 is not any better at this test than Firefox.

  115. *volunteers* :) by Illissius · · Score: 1

    I've been using Opera since forever, and KDE for ~a year so far as well. Basically, Opera is much better at actually browsing the web, while you can use Konqueror to browse literally just about *anything*, thanks to KParts and KIOSlaves.

    Things Opera has that Konqueror doesn't, off the top of my head: (for the most part, these apply to Firefox sans extensions as well)

    - Middle click to close tabs (this is actually possible with Konqi, but you have to edit a config file manually, and I only found it by looking around at bugs.kde.org...)
    - Minimize tabs -- it won't be activated (eg, after closing the previous tab) unless you do it manually -- great for when there's a page you want to get back to later
    - Reopen previously closed tabs
    - When you go back/forwards, it happens *instantly*
    - Faster and more responsive in general -- I'm often pissed at how laggy Opera is and go to try Konqi/Firefox, only to find that they're even worse
    - Native embedded-in-page SVG support (not much use at the moment, but hey, it's there)
    - Fit to width
    - Better zoom - both text and images
    - Fast forward -- finds the 'next' link, follows it
    - When you use forward (at least, the mouse gesture for it, which is what I always use), and there's nothing forwards in the history, it falls back on fast forward instead; or if there's a login form that you have stored info for, it logs you in. it's little things like this that can be very convenient...
    - Switch tabs by holding right mouse button + scrolling the wheel (tip: in the preferences, change it to "without showing list")
    - The scrolling thingy you get when middle clicking in a page is faster/better
    - Ability to have the sidepanel on the right (sorry, this is a pet issue of mine :)
    - Lots of nifty things you can do with said sidepanel -- drag tabs between windows and otherwise manage them via the 'windows' panel, select all the relevant links in the page in the 'links' panel and open them all at once, quick & easy notetaking (keeps track of which site you took them on, 'copy to note' entry in most context menus, etc.), embed a webpage as a panel with smallscreen rendering, it goes on
    - 'nicknames' for bookmarks, and for folders -- type it in the address bar to open it (so I just type 'technews' and it opens all 10-20 sites I have in that folder)
    - sessions -- if it crashes, when you next start it you have the option of resuming where you left off (you can also save/open sessions manually)
    - better handling of tabs in general -- can't quite figure out the difference, but when closing a page it usually activates the one I want, where Konqueror doesn't
    - UI is more customizable
    - better fullscreen mode
    - quickly toggle whether images are shown (useful for dialup, not so much for broadband)
    - full browsing with keyboard shortcuts
    - reopen blocked popups (getting into the features I don't personally use here...)
    - voice capabilities

    Things Konqueror has Opera doesn't:
    - Convenient GUI way to change keyboard shortcuts
    - Inline text editing (Opera can be configured to use ASpell iirc, but you have to press a button for it to check)
    - Uses native Qt widgets (Opera has many excellent skins, but this would be better)
    - Effectively browse things that aren't the web

    --
    Work is punishment for failing to procrastinate effectively.
  116. Yes, I would. by trezor · · Score: 1

    I've used Opera. It's an excellent browser in every way. It was Gmail and my online banking that forced me to use Firefox in the first place, as I refused to use IE.

    Anyhow, as I see it, they both have their strengths and there are improvements I'd like to see in both of them. Last version of Opera I used 7.5, and I doubt too much have changed since then.

    And yes, if I had a steady income back in the days when Opera was my main browser I would be more than happy to shell out my cash for such a quality product.

    --
    Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
    1. Re:Yes, I would. by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Totally off topic, but I personally can't understand changing the way I work, or any application on my PC just to get a web site in a commodity market like e-mail to work.

      I'd just quickly click on to some other web mail - I mean, they all are free. Though, I do just fine with Eudora too. I personally don't get web mail at all . . .

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
  117. let's cue the Firefox goons... by maxpublic · · Score: 0, Troll

    ...who'll get their panties in a wad that some browser other than the one they worship actually has market share! The same folks who bitch and moan that IE dominates the market, but think it'd be just fine and dandy if Firefox did the same thing.

    I guess monoculture is just fine so long as it's *your* culture.

    Max

    --
    My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
  118. "Big Three browsers" - anybody provide stats? by fantomas · · Score: 1

    IE, Opera, and Firefox as "the big three"... can somebody point me to reliable guesstimates (!) on market breakdown of usage? cheers.

  119. Re:Opera and Firefox [selective figures] by maxpublic · · Score: 1

    The guy capitalizes "free" and "free software". You're arguing with a zealot.

    Max

    --
    My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
  120. Tabs in Opera by ergean · · Score: 1

    Yeah, but after a year or so using Firefox it's like hell to see them going like that. I like my last tab to be the last one in line, so when I close the original tab to see the next which is the first one opened, going like this to the last. I can't seem to get this to work in Opera. I've tried all the settings regarding the cycling of the tabs.
    And the most annoing thing is no matter what I do it returns to the original page, which is a pain in the arse, because, if I dont' want to close the original page, I don't want to stumble on it every time I close a tab.

    Am I doing something wrong or there is a way to setup this behavior in Opera?

    1. Re:Tabs in Opera by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      No, I don't know that there is a way. I'm just pointing out how Opera does tabs. I won't say it's better or worse, just the way it works.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
  121. Ctrl + T by milimetric · · Score: 1

    I waited a while to avoid the slashdot traffic, got my copy and got up and running. First page I went to was the MSDN KnowledgeBase which Opera had problems with. To my delight, they fixed it : )

    Opera is now snappier and ineed more lightweight than it used to be.

    So I go to post my happy findings to /. and I press Ctrl + T to get a new tab. Lo and Behold, the Add a new bookmark comes up. Not cool.

    I'm posting this from Firefox and have realized one very important thing: I'm in love with the cute little fox and it's Ctrl+T, Ctrl+TAB, Ctrl+W, Ctrl+Click interface. However, way to go Opera, you have now become a browser that I do not dislike.

    1. Re:Ctrl + T by Tore+S+B · · Score: 1

      So I go to post my happy findings to /. and I press Ctrl + T to get a new tab. Lo and Behold, the Add a new bookmark comes up. Not cool.

      So, you don't like Opera because its customizeable hotkeys aren't set to Firefox's by standard...? It's fully configureable.

      --
      toresbe
    2. Re:Ctrl + T by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Wow. Weird. Ctrl - T for a new window? Whatever happened to the windows standard ctrl - n?

      Anyway, I customize my keyboard shortcuts anyway. Not real hard to do.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
  122. helping QT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Using Opera, you indirectly help to the development of Qt !

  123. Developer's Attitude by SirJere · · Score: 1

    I used to use Opera but switched because the attitude of the developers. Users were asking for various features in the Mail Client (like stuff with signatures or HTML compose). The developers were adamant that they were doing things their way, regardless of users wants or need. Some of their reasoning was there was no standard for this or that, or it conflicted -- never mind every other mail client in existence had some of the features. I think you even see this in the discussion of ad-blocking. They are more than entitled to do things their way, but don't expect people to use it, and definitely don't expect people to pay for it. If you are developing a product you want people to use, I think it makes sense to give them what they want. But I guess enough companies have proved me wrong on that.

    1. Re:Developer's Attitude by Jussi+K.+Kojootti · · Score: 1
      Listening to customers is a great idea. But a key to creating a really outstanding product is not implementing every feature users want, but having a clear vision of the whole product.

      Sure, sometimes the vision the developers pick is wrong and users will stop using the product. But that is why a competitive market is needed -- users are not left without a solution, they'll just select another one. Without a competitive market and visionary developers there will be no real progress.

      Firefox and Opera are both very good examples of this.

    2. Re:Developer's Attitude by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Regarding AdBlocking, there's the age old philosophical discussion of whether it belongs in a browser. No browser I'm aware of actually includes it.

      There are, however 10 bajillion ways to block ads, ranging from my favorite - proxomitron - to hosts files. So, people are asking for something that already exists. I really see it like wandering around a car dealership bitching how no car has nitro built in. But three blocks down is a shop that puts in aftermarket parts like nitro. It's kind of silly.

      I do think Opera has listened to it's users with user js. This allows quite a lot of customizability - to the point that users have already coded some stuff to be very similar to the AdBlock extension, but for Opera.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
  124. Re:Not being trollish, but... [generic-man] by MynockGuano · · Score: 1

    "...Doubleclick is one of the most comment advertising hosts, but you can block anything with "doubleclick" in the url by using this expression: http://*doubleclick* Voila. That blocks nearly all ads on the page."

    Excellent post. Just wanted to add to that last line that you'll not only block nearly all ads on the page, but on any other page that use the same ad provider, as well. In the case of doubleclick, this seems like half of the Internet. Bonus!

    Due to the nature of centralized online advertising, if you focus initially on a few well-selected sites (covering the normal gamut of your online surfing activities) and are judicious in your pattern-matching expressions, you'll find that you'll be blocking 90% of all ads in a matter of minutes (even on sites you've never visited)!

    Give it a shot; it's quite satisfying. >8)

  125. Who cares! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sorry, but who cares. Really. Want a good solid and fast browser? Use Firefox.

    I saw some jokers post things like "well I like Opera for it's features like mouse gestures, disabling CSS and JavaScript...." ... Firefox has mouse gestures, ad blocking, to-standard rendering, popup blocking, etc. ... all FREE. The UI works like you'd expect it to in unlike the oddness found in Opera. Oh yeah, and did I mention it's FREE?

    Disable CSS? Are you kidding? Disable JavaScript? Um... why? Firefox smashes all the lame stunts people try to pull with JS so there is no need.

    1. Re:Who cares! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In addition, I am always right and anyone who's preference differs is wrong. Everyone has to listen to my opinion because it's so much better than theirs. Nevermind the fact that Opera has features built in when you have to find extensions for firefox. Also ignore the RSS, IRC, and e-mail features of Opera, nobody uses those anyway. In summation, You all suck and I rule, so listen to everything I say even though I can't be bothered to make a /. account to post my thoughts, you all should know who I am.

  126. Re:The question every Opera user knows answer for by Komodowaran · · Score: 1

    Well, it is nice that there is a plug-in (adblock) which integrates into Firefox just fine. I am using it too when surfing the Web with Firefox, which is the case 1..3% of the time.

    IE scores probably less than 1%, and only due to the occasional manual checkup if my W2K-System is fully patched.

    The rest is Opera. And Privoxy, which is way above adblock and certainly more powerful than any conceivable "adblock replacement" or such.

    Take your Opera, set it up to get input from your locally installed Privoxy (Port 8118) and crank the Prixoy up at first in its standard configuration -- you will never ever give adblock a second thought.

    However, after a while you might be tempted to fine tune your new HTTP proxy to your needs. Just do it!

    It was nice to meet you,
    Waran

    --
    Sig? What sig?! Ah, sig! Sigh.
  127. Re:Not being trollish, but... you do seem to be by whitehatlurker · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Having tried Firefox, and having used Opera for a long time, I'd definitely stay with ...

    Opera!

    ... almost everyone I know uses Firefox or IE (yuck), or even Mozilla.

    You need to get a more diverse group of friends ;-)

    As for me, I will NOT switch to Opera.

    Well, that's fine. Opera isn't for every one. It's certainly not for people who don't use the web at all. ;-) The casual web user would also not be greatly advantaged by using Opera. As for me, I will continue to use FireFox, Links, Amaya, Maxthon and (from time to time) MS IE. My browser of choice will remain Opera.

    --
    .. paranoid crackpot leftover from the days of Amiga.
  128. Re:Hope it will support KDE with correct colors no by b374 · · Score: 0
    Also some special characters like
    &laqou;
    did not look like they should - well we will see if they got it out after the beta now...
    That is
    &laquo;
    to be precise...
  129. Re:I guess I'm he only one... by whitehatlurker · · Score: 1

    F11 work for you?

    --
    .. paranoid crackpot leftover from the days of Amiga.
  130. Re:A case study of why software patents are needed by Jussi+K.+Kojootti · · Score: 1
    So where is your case exactly? ... Opera is doing very well, as far as I know -- they're making a profit and are expanding in the areas they've identified as their core markets.

    What's the problem, what would SW patents "fix"?

  131. Phoenix 0.6 by ergean · · Score: 1

    It wasn't crap. Depends what are terms of comparation. If you compare Phoenix with Opera at that time, yeah it was crap. Any other browser at that time, except Opera, was crap. I was still looking for Netscape 3 at that time as the best browser.

    And Phoenix 0.6 was just ok, 0.5 crashed from time to time. From my point of view Phoenix 0.6 was the last beta version of Firefox. But my mistake Pheonix 0.6 was Firebird 0.6. So in way you are right.

  132. Namely... by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 1
    Opera is an innovative company that puts out an outstanding and lightweight product. Google and the Firefox team have a lot to thank Opera for.

    Yeah, it's nice of them to develop a good browser with nice features, not patent those features, and then let another group making a free browser steal it all and give their browser away.

    It's tough to sell a product when your competitor is giving it away.

  133. Firefox costs money, too by scoobrs · · Score: 1

    Firefox costs money, too. A 1GB dual channel RAM kit costs about $200.

    --
    -Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither. -Ben Franklin
  134. Turn on single window mode from "about:config" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Type "about:config" in your URL-bar. Search for "singlewindow". Set it to true. Then you can edit your single window preferences from "preferences".

    No extension needed.

  135. Customizable? by naylor83 · · Score: 1

    OK, then. If Opera is so customizable, could someone please tell me exactly what to do to get my Opera 8 to look like this (a mockup). I have tried a lot of things, but Opera doesn't seem to want to cooperate.

    1. Re:Customizable? by naylor83 · · Score: 1

      I could also settle for having the ads above the "navigation bar". The important thing is that I get Google text ads (long and narrow), navigation buttons and the tabs just above the page.

    2. Re:Customizable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's impossible to customize the ad.

    3. Re:Customizable? by naylor83 · · Score: 1

      Well, I don't really want to customize the ad, I just want the so called "address bar" to be above the "page bar".

    4. Re:Customizable? by vcv · · Score: 1

      Show the "main" toolbar. Drag the buttons and address bar onto that. Hide the address bar. Voila!

    5. Re:Customizable? by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Except that really doesn't make any sense. The address is part of the page, hence it toggles and changes with the page. I mean, say on a pop-up, or if you resize a window, where would the address bar go? It wouldn't make much sense for it to not be touching the page it applies to. How exactly would one tile pages without a separate address bar as part of the page?

      Not that it bothers me, I put my page bar at the bottom of the screen.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    6. Re:Customizable? by naylor83 · · Score: 1

      I know it doesn't make perfect logical sense, so I can see why they don't have the toolbars layed out like that as default. However, since Opera is so customizable, it should be possible have the toolbars that way if i like.

    7. Re:Customizable? by jp10558 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I don't know why Opera doesn't let you re-arrange the toolbars. I'd check the customize section of the Opera forums, they have been asked this before, I'm sure.

      --
      Opera, Proxomitron-Grypen,GPG 0x0A1C6EE3
    8. Re:Customizable? by Horkdoom · · Score: 1

      When I downloaded 8 onto my laptop it showed up exactly like that. When I downloaded it to my desktop it re-used my preferences and skin from Opera 7.x

  136. +5 Insightful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air." --Thomas Gray

  137. Re:The question every firefox user is asking INT.. by davidsyes · · Score: 1

    WTF?

    "Does FIREFOX allow me to 'archive' a web page like Konqueror can?" (Notice in Konqueror on the menu bar that little globe icon with 2 dog-eared corners (SW & NE) and one white dog ear, (SE))

    Unless I'm missing it (not sighting it in FIREFOX), THAT is one reason I don't use FIREFOX, and stopped using Opera, for that matter, tho I LIKE Opera. I imagine tho that, if FIREFOX adds the feature, downloads in the windoze land version of FIREFOX may triple. (I don't surf with windoze, only using win98 in Win4Lin 4.0, in Mandrake 10.0 (there was no Mandriva, hehhe, at rel. 10.0), due to my addiction to Lotus SmartSuite, particularly Lotus Approach and Lotus WordPro, for the things they give me won't be available in SO/OO.o for another decade at the rate SO/OO.oo are going... not flamebait, but FACT, as I've asked them to look at and "borrow" to the extent legal, some WP/Appr features, which they can't seem to appreciate from a user's perspective... (slams skull against wall, again...) )

    So, FIREFOX/mirrors, get ready for serious bandwidth consumption in the next release. Add site page archiving... Before ms tries to patent it for windoze/iexploder...
    =======

    As for ad blocking, well, with a combination of Konqueror and Firestarter, I block out unctuous cookie and ad-spammers and usually see:

    "An error occurred while loading http://ads.somesite.com/?ad_id=3432234324&alloc_id =1342234319&site_id=1&request_id=8dfasdfsdf8:

    Timeout on server
    Connection was to ads.somesite.com at port 80"

    Or:

    "An error occurred while loading http://n3285ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N3285.yahoocom/ B1231090.170;dcadv=852807;sz=728x90;dcopt=rcl;clic k=http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=1246ko9oh/M=320917.6 328163.7310618.313120/D=mail/S=150500004:N/EXP=111 3953061/A=2619669/R=0/*;ord=1113945861811890?:

    Timeout on server
    Connection was to n3285ad.doubleclick.net at port 80"

    But, it is at the price of very slowwwww page downloads. It''s the price I pay (umm, am WILLING to pay) to let them know I have NO SOCIAL CONTRACT with double-dick. I don't want THEM or their kind cataloging me. I can't win, but at least I can slow down their efforts, a little, tiny bit.

    --
    Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  138. Favorite feature of Opera by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Full-screen Mode! Don't have to purchase it, and you get no banner ad at the top.

  139. Re:A case study of why software patents are needed by prionic6 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Neither mouse gestures nor tabbed interface to multiple documents were invented by Opera. They "only" brought it to the browser world in a good way. Software patents would have prohibited that and maybe would have lead to several applications, each with one killer feature, but none with all of them.

  140. How to stop it mounting a DMG by ibentmywookie · · Score: 1

    What is with opera mounting a DMG when it launches? Everytime I launch opera, an Opera disk image shows up in the finder. What the hell?

    I just tried 8.0b1, and it looked exactly the same as 7.54, and it still did the damn disk image mounting thing. Annoying.

    --
    -- The doctor said I wouldn't get so many nose bleeds if I just kept my finger out of there!
  141. A solution by Luchio · · Score: 1

    I think you have to use the Status toolbar. Change it's position to show at the top, then drag all the buttons you want to keep from the address bar to the status toolbar. Then disable the address bar, and you're set.

    It's a bit akward, but it works. But if you want to view the status, you'll have to relocate the status field elsewhere.

  142. Suggestion by Luchio · · Score: 1

    You could set a key, let's say F9, to execute the command: Show popup menu, "Browser menu bar"

    Or, you could add the following line toolbar.ini, which is a dual function button:

    Button10, "Menu"="Enable menu bar, , , "Menu", "Window browser icon" | Disable menu bar, , , "Menu", "Window browser icon" + Show popup menu, "Browser menu bar""

    (change the number 10 for the good number of the button)

  143. Re:Opera and Firefox [selective figures] by Danuvius · · Score: 1
    The guy capitalizes "free" and "free software". You're arguing with a zealot.
    Because everyone knows "free software" and "Free Software" mean the same thing, right? Is ignorance really a bliss, maxpublic?
    --
    Akarsz Magyar Gentoo fórumot? Akkor
  144. Yes, it is possible... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This story sounds made up. But I'll prove you wrong anyway though...

    Guess what, you cannot override the backspace functionality in Opera.

    Wrong. All keyboard shortcuts can be edited. You just need to know how.

    How to do this? In Opera 8 goto the Tools menu, then preferences. Click "advanced" and then "shortcuts". Click the edit button for the keyboard setup. In the dialog that opens, find the text "backspace" without quotes. Find this line (or the mac platform line if you're on a mac):

    Platform Windows-Unix-QNX, Backspace

    Change the action to look like:

    Backspace | Back(remove this to work again)

    1. Re:Yes, it is possible... by Kainaw · · Score: 1

      How to do this? In Opera 8 goto the Tools menu, then preferences. Click "advanced" and then "shortcuts". Click the edit button for the keyboard setup. In the dialog that opens, find the text "backspace" without quotes. Find this line (or the mac platform line if you're on a mac):

      I fail to understand how you feel this is a solution. I state the problem: I "the web designer", not I "the Opera user", cannot remove the default functionality of the backspace key when a single form item is focused. Your solution: Have the Opera user alter their keyboard configuration for all web pages.

      As for your following note to post the question on the Opera Forums, I did and I have been receiving loads of hate mail every day for the past two weeks. However, they have failed to come up with a solution for cancelling the Backspace KeyEvent.

      --
      The previous comment is purposely vague and generalized, but all of the facts are completely true.
    2. Re:Yes, it is possible... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As for your following note to post the question on the Opera Forums, I did and I have been receiving loads of hate mail every day for the past two weeks.
      You're shown up for what you are. Please do not spread mis-information. I've been on opera forums since a good number of years, and neither do our users have time to flame anyone, nor are they allowed to. Anyways, me being a web dev for longer than you new-fangled kids, do know that your "insurmountable" problem is none at all. I will definitely post the solution to your problem, if you can prove to me that you're genuine (by taking up what I propose below) and not just wasting our time.

      Okay, lets expose you. Here's a challenge:
      Just post the usernames (or the mail-address without domain) of the origin of the "hate mails" that you claim to have been sent to you. Also quote what exactly they sent you. If its as you claim, then maybe number of flames you received are in the region of double-digits? Lets see....

      If you will let us know which topic it is that you posted on opera forum, that'd also go some way to mark you as authentic.

    3. Re:Yes, it is possible... by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      I notice that you did not respond to the AC, and did not post info about these so-called "hate mails".

      How about backing up your ridiculous accusations?

      "I "the web designer", not I "the Opera user", cannot remove the default functionality of the backspace key"
      Which is a good thing.
      "As for your following note to post the question on the Opera Forums, I did and I have been receiving loads of hate mail every day for the past two weeks."
      Prove it. I searched for your name in the forums, and there was no "hate mail", just lots of people telling you that the user should bein control.

      If you do have a site license, then fix Opera on your site instead of expecting Opera to cripple its browser by allowing web pages to override keys.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
  145. Ask questions at the My Opera forums by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I should also add that the My Opera forums are a better place to ask questions. The people there really know their stuff and questions are usually answered within minutes.

  146. Acura vs Cadilac by MystryMeat · · Score: 1

    FF has its advantages but Im still an Opera fan. Its like an import that can have this that and the other thing bolted on limited by vision and google searching vs the fully loaded caddie that blows your socks off when you get in it at the show room and drive it home the first time. FF slows down to crap after 12 extn's (# takes me to get 90% comprable features to Opera) and file size goes up. After you add so much extra something is bound to hit the fan. Too many Opera features rock hard to name give it a try for a week and try to use the features then make a decision it sucks... computers facility the expierence dont deny yourself a scratch and sniff -mm ff does have superior web dev tools (js debuger esp)

  147. MDI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can resize the tab within the browser by *right* clicking the red X, but I will be the first to admit that this is not good user interface design.

  148. Slashdot Rendering by Sleepy · · Score: 1

    There is NO correct way to render Slashdot. Slashdot uses an obsolete DTD, and renders in both FireFox and IE6 in Quirks Mode.

    The designers of Slashdot HTML obviously targeted IE when they designed it. Meaning, they did not target W3C specs for HTML 3.2 (and then apply hacks to workaround IE rendering bugs) they simply hacked HTML & pressed Reload. No wonder the web is so bad.

    If Slashdot ever moves into something modern, like XHTML + CSS, and I mean VALID code, then it might be fair for the grandparent poster to say FireFox gets it wrong.

    Microsoft's just not interested in fixing their rendering bugs: corrupting the standard is a win for them.

  149. Aesthetics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    IMHO, the most obvious reason to prefer Opera over Firefox isn't a technical one at all. It just looks better.

    Firefox's UI has always looked rather badly stitched together, whereas Opera's UI is clean, elegant, efficient, and powerful, not to mention the fact that it's far more skinnable than Firefox's.

    I prefer Firefox in terms of technical merit, but aesthetics and efficiency of use (mouse gestures, anyone?) have brought me back to Opera several times. Now that Opera 8 has addressed and fixed many of the gripes I had, I find myself using Opera more and more often. As more technical improvements come down the pipe, I think many people will find a more comfortable browser in Opera.

  150. Still offtopic, sorry: You got it wrong by trezor · · Score: 1

    When I sign or encrypt my mail with my private key in GPG everyone is still free to download my public key. In fact with modern keyservers people who doesn't have my key can probably do that automatic.

    This doesn't hinder anyone in reading the mail or verifying the signature/encryption. In fact all it does is alloving me to ensure whoever I send mail, that it is me sending the mail, not some spoofer or virus. How is this a bad thing?

    I see your stance against Encrypted GPG more as stance on ecnryption in general. Anyway, if I want only one person I know to be able to read my mail because what Im sending him is strictly confidential... Is that wrong? If the recipient of my mail still wants to do something with the content he is free to do so. There is no DRM-mechanisms there to stop him.

    When we oppose DRM it should be because it is implemented to take control away from us, the users, and give it to the machine/software/content-owners. GPG however does no such thing.

    I think you are overly generalising your (valid) fear.

    --
    Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
    1. Re:Still offtopic, sorry: You got it wrong by oever · · Score: 1

      I am not opposed to encryption and I'm not opposed to digitally signing documents. They are a positive part of digital rights management. The negative part is the fact that proponents of DRM want all the worlds computers to act as their policemen by using DRM supporting hardware. That's bad as you agree. But without that hardware, DRM == GPG/PGP.

      --
      DNA is the ultimate spaghetti code.
  151. Multimodal Web using X+V & Embedded ViaVoice by ijablokov · · Score: 1

    This is the first public release that includes voice functionality as well! Using XHTML+Voice (X+V), you can create multimodal Web pages (i.e. pages that you can speak to and can respond back as well). Examples include asking webmail for urgent email then having them displayed or asking for tomorrow's calendar. The true power of this is when you combine X+V with Google or Yahoo! APIs. Imagine just asking your Web browser for movie listings, or latest IBM news. More info available & an Eclipse-based toolkit for creating X+V content available here: http://www.bm.com/pvc/multimodal

  152. Re:Multimodal Web using X+V & Embedded ViaVoic by ijablokov · · Score: 1

    Typo...the correct link is http://www.ibm.com/pvc/multimodal/

    This technology is also useful for mobile field/sales forces, technicians that need ready access to schematics, really anywhere you need handsfree access to information (think a police officer running your plate before pulling you over for speeding :-P).