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Vivaldi 2.0 Desktop Browser Featuring Expanded Customization, Sync Across Devices and Privacy Tools Released [Q&A With Founder] (vivaldi.com)
Vivaldi announced Wednesday it has released a major update to its namesake desktop web browser, remaining as one of the rare companies that is still attempting to fight Google's monopoly in the space. Major features in Vivaldi 2.0 include: Syncing browsers across computers:Version 2.0 allows users to sync data, including bookmarks, passwords, autofill information, and history. Vivaldi uses its own servers to store the data, which is all encrypted end-to-end.
Panels: These are expandable, multi-tasking dashboards that can be opened in the sidebar.
Tab management: Additional features are included that allow for better searching through tabs, stacking them, and even renaming them.
History: Offers new ways to track your usage, including generating statistics and a visual history feature. Vivaldi was founded by Jon von Tetzchner, who also co-founded Opera and served as its chief executive for a number of years. Jon has been vocal about what many find unfair tactics employed by Google and Microsoft to aggressively expand the user bases of their respective browsers. Slashdot had a chance to speak with Jon recently: Slashdot: One of the biggest complaints that people have about browsers today is just how much memory they consume. Is it a lost-cause? What is Vivaldi doing to address this?
Jon: This is very true. Browsers can use a lot of memory. We have worked hard to reduce that load. The most important thing we have done there is the lazy loading of tabs. When you have a lot of tabs, you use a lot of memory, but with Vivaldi, we will only load the tabs once you need them. We also have the ability to hibernate background tabs, by right clicking the tab bar, which will free up a lot of memory. Besides this we are always looking at how to make the browser use less memory and be faster. There is a lot of details there, but with the feedback from our users, we continue to improve every single part of the browser.
Slashdot: You are offering a browser, and a web email client and service provider. Is Vivaldi attempting to offer a catalog of services? And if so, what more could we expect from the company in the long-term?
Jon: The focus for us is the browser, but we believe the browser should be able to do more than it does today, so we will continue to expand on the features we offer in the browser. We have been open about the fact that we aim to provide an email client in the browser, but that will come in the future, but we are, as you pointed out, providing the free email service. This is in addition to our free blog, forums and sync service. We feel there is a need for these services, free from ads and free from building of super profiles. Our free webmail service is thus without ads and we do not scan mails, except for spam and viruses. We will continue to add services to support the browser or where we feel a service supplements the browser in a good way.
Slashdot: You have been vocal about some of the tactics Google and Microsoft use to promote their own browsers. Following the news cycle, we don't think things have changed much. What's your view on it?
Jon: No, sadly things have not changed much. Microsoft continues to push their browser in their operating system, at times taking over the default browser as well. They also block competing browsers on their Windows 10S. Google sadly blocks some competing browsers from using their services, even browsers such as Vivaldi, that is based on Chromium. We need to change our identity when visiting many Google services. I guess my feeling is that those large companies should not and should not need to behave this way.
Slashdot: Chrome continues to be a market leader. Firefox, despite some of its recent changes, has lost some of the market. How hard is it for a browser company to survive these days? And why is it important that someone continues to fight back?
Jon: We all know that browser choice is a good thing, even more so than for most other products. The browser is your view into the Internet and we all spend a lot of time there. Healthy competition means product innovation and lower prices (this is not only about the price of the product, but also what you have to give up in other ways, such as your private information). Monopolies tend slow down innovation and also there is a tendency for them to use their position in one market to attack another.
It is not trivial to compete with these large corporations, but it is something we enjoy. We fight for our users and for the future of the Internet. That is definitely something worth fighting for.
Slashdot: Are you folks still working on a mobile browser?
Jon: Indeed we are. We aim to get it out there as soon as we can. We are ramping up the team after then 2.0 release to move faster. Further reading: The Next Web, and VentureBeat.
Panels: These are expandable, multi-tasking dashboards that can be opened in the sidebar.
Tab management: Additional features are included that allow for better searching through tabs, stacking them, and even renaming them.
History: Offers new ways to track your usage, including generating statistics and a visual history feature. Vivaldi was founded by Jon von Tetzchner, who also co-founded Opera and served as its chief executive for a number of years. Jon has been vocal about what many find unfair tactics employed by Google and Microsoft to aggressively expand the user bases of their respective browsers. Slashdot had a chance to speak with Jon recently: Slashdot: One of the biggest complaints that people have about browsers today is just how much memory they consume. Is it a lost-cause? What is Vivaldi doing to address this?
Jon: This is very true. Browsers can use a lot of memory. We have worked hard to reduce that load. The most important thing we have done there is the lazy loading of tabs. When you have a lot of tabs, you use a lot of memory, but with Vivaldi, we will only load the tabs once you need them. We also have the ability to hibernate background tabs, by right clicking the tab bar, which will free up a lot of memory. Besides this we are always looking at how to make the browser use less memory and be faster. There is a lot of details there, but with the feedback from our users, we continue to improve every single part of the browser.
Slashdot: You are offering a browser, and a web email client and service provider. Is Vivaldi attempting to offer a catalog of services? And if so, what more could we expect from the company in the long-term?
Jon: The focus for us is the browser, but we believe the browser should be able to do more than it does today, so we will continue to expand on the features we offer in the browser. We have been open about the fact that we aim to provide an email client in the browser, but that will come in the future, but we are, as you pointed out, providing the free email service. This is in addition to our free blog, forums and sync service. We feel there is a need for these services, free from ads and free from building of super profiles. Our free webmail service is thus without ads and we do not scan mails, except for spam and viruses. We will continue to add services to support the browser or where we feel a service supplements the browser in a good way.
Slashdot: You have been vocal about some of the tactics Google and Microsoft use to promote their own browsers. Following the news cycle, we don't think things have changed much. What's your view on it?
Jon: No, sadly things have not changed much. Microsoft continues to push their browser in their operating system, at times taking over the default browser as well. They also block competing browsers on their Windows 10S. Google sadly blocks some competing browsers from using their services, even browsers such as Vivaldi, that is based on Chromium. We need to change our identity when visiting many Google services. I guess my feeling is that those large companies should not and should not need to behave this way.
Slashdot: Chrome continues to be a market leader. Firefox, despite some of its recent changes, has lost some of the market. How hard is it for a browser company to survive these days? And why is it important that someone continues to fight back?
Jon: We all know that browser choice is a good thing, even more so than for most other products. The browser is your view into the Internet and we all spend a lot of time there. Healthy competition means product innovation and lower prices (this is not only about the price of the product, but also what you have to give up in other ways, such as your private information). Monopolies tend slow down innovation and also there is a tendency for them to use their position in one market to attack another.
It is not trivial to compete with these large corporations, but it is something we enjoy. We fight for our users and for the future of the Internet. That is definitely something worth fighting for.
Slashdot: Are you folks still working on a mobile browser?
Jon: Indeed we are. We aim to get it out there as soon as we can. We are ramping up the team after then 2.0 release to move faster. Further reading: The Next Web, and VentureBeat.
I tend to agree.
Opera in its heyday was outstanding. Get back to making a power browser that is setting the trend, not following it.
"His name was James Damore."
Oh yes, a Chrome clone because Chrome has
Tab stacking
Tab tiling
Web panels
Notes
Advanced themeing support
Full page image capture
Customizable keyboard shortcuts
Mouse gestures
Quick commands
History in Calendar view with stats and graphs
Oh wait, it doesn't
no, didn't think so
If you're using a Mac on the desktop, and use Homebrew Cask to install software with a quick terminal command, know that I've just submitted a pull request so this new version can be quickly installed.
Anyway -- I did not expect them to keep living, but I'm really happy that these guys keep on chugging along, and getting ready for the next version. A couple of years ago it seemed that Chrome was the be-all and end-all of browsers. However, lately Google is turning up the profiling dial and I moved to Firefox and when I need the engine, Vivaldi.
8 of 13 people found this answer helpful. Did you?
I find the claims of privacy laughable. Like Chrome, this browser sends every url you go to to google, probably Vivaldies Google Anal ytics. But it's ok as long as it's the worlds largest spy organization right?
I've used just about every browser over the years going back to Mosiac. Lately none of them really have everything Firefox pre XUL deprecation. There is a shit tonne of crap that goes on behind the scenes, much of which are not caught by uBO or uM. Vivaldi is really no different.
There are things I like aboute Vivaldi like the tab management, but a lot drives me crazy too. It crashes, often usually overnight but some sites like Twitch eat the thing for lunch (scrolling their directory for example). The bulk of privacy / security "issues" I have with Chrome however remain. Cookies for example, are still hidden behind a UI most people won't know where to find it let alone what the settings mean. Why is there no longer an option to "ask every time"? Instead you have to guess if a site is even trying to use cookies or click on the lock icon which most people would associate with SSL, not cookies. In the same regard why is there no options to disable HSTS or persist SSL exceptions? Why is the default not to jail browsers first, _ask_ questions later? Websockets, Webasm, etc - these are critical things that would set a brwoser apart from Mozilla and Google. I'd actually be fine with a broser that DIDN'T support all of HTML5.
At this point I use a browser because I have to not because I want to. If a company manages to turn that around they would have no problem getting paid for it from me. So long as browsers continue to copy Google I don't see that happening any time soon.
This does rule it out for me. Plus: "we believe the browser should be able to do more than it does today" (Jon von Tetzchner) -- this sounds to me rather like a menace. Thanks, but no, thanks.
I want to *know positively* that my MUA (mail user agent, aka "email client") won't be interpreting (or compiling) random Javascript snippets from there and yonder, be them from Google, Microsoft or Vivaldi's "services".
Sorry, not my browser. Missed by a far margin.
That is basically the only thing I really want. Other than that, Vivaldi is a good browser, but bookmarks are clunky.
Please just take the bookmark-menu of Opera 12.x and implement the same functionality into Vivaldi. Thanks.
Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
Please, elaborate more on differences with Chrome and Firefox. Besides the name, of course.
Sent as ripples into the electromagnetic field. No single photon has been harmed in the process.
"... I did not expect them to keep living..."
What is their purpose in producing Vivaldi? Do they make money? How?
What privacy issues does Vivaldi have?
Fuck that. Why can't I sync it to my usb drive?
Without frigging about at the OS level, I mean.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Thanks guys! Vivaldi is the only viable alternative to Chrome (sell your soul to advertisers) and FF (too many SJW side projects, focus on the browser ffs). Please clone Opera 10.5.
Do like Netflix.
A few bucks a month subscription give you no adds for any provider content. Content providers are paid by views.
Win.
Opera in its heyday was outstanding. Get back to making a power browser that is setting the trend, not following it.
AKA a market leader. Here's another market leader, IE (AKA Over the Edge) right now:
... soon, and without fail!
... for I am their LEADER!
Have you seen them?
Which way did they go?
I MUST find them!
Link
If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
Does it seamlessly support Chrome extensions?
Does Vivaldi still phones home every 24h as per https://vivaldi.com/privacy/browser/ ?
I still won't use it.
Nothing special.
Just Chrome with a few bits tacked on.
The millennial that doesn't like most of the stuff designed for millennials.
installed
pro: like the idea of tabs on left.
con: ctrl-n started a new tab instead of a new window instance on the windows toolbar
con: cleaned up my url's(nope! google is pulling that crap which is the only reason id look elsewhere, leave the damned urls alone!!!)
uninstalled
No question about license?
Disappointing.
Vivaldi is base an open source Blink engine.
Why not open source Vivaldi also.
How can yet another proprietary browser really compete against Chrome/Chromium or Firefox?
It's literally a Chrome clone.
It's literally chrome, from what I saw.
Anyway, the issue is that there is no compelling reason to use it.
Every time there is a news article about Chrome. Firefox, etc, all the armchair developers come in to complain about how the browser does(n't) do X.
Why, if they made a browser, it'd be the bestest thing and everyone would 100% love it.
Yet, you all don't make one. I wonder why that is?
This probably just means I'm old, but ...
Seriously, I have a "home page" -- just a html file sitting in my home directory, and the home button loads it. That is my bookmarks collection. It's better organized than any browser's bookmarks that has ever been invented. The only real downside is that I have to manually maintain it.