Opera 9.5 a Simple and Speedy Browser
With the computing paradigm is changing toward the Web, the Web browser is almost as important as the OS itself. From the user perspective, if the interface is familiar, intuitive and speedy that what I want to use.
Traditionally, globally speaking, on the Windows platform, users are familiar with IE6. Some might go up to IE7. Firefox is also gaining popularity in a tremendous space due to the rendering speed, its extensions and its cross-platform capability. Others browsers include Safari, Flock, Maxthon are also popular depending on the region or the demography.
While waiting for the latest Firefox 3 official release (scheduled for June 17) – I have been testing its portable version, since I do not want to totally get rid of my production version 2 yet. There are still many extensions that are not converted to FF3.
Opera 9.5 is another nice browser that I am testing with its portable version. So far I am surprisingly impressed with its blazing performance and the intuitive interface, everything I need seems to be there where I need at the first use. Opera also display the search window on the right top corner with option to select different search engine user can choose from.
Without delay, here is my first hands-on discovery:
I downloaded the 6MB USB portable version from HERE. Unzip to a folder on my c: drive without any problem. And here I go, launch OperaUSB.exe. There is no installation needed. The browser actually fires up and ready to surf. The browser has a pleasant interface with the default gray /dark blue Opera skin- There is another Windows skin to blend with your current Windows environment, but I think the default one is much better. All the familiar standard browser buttons, the tab bar and the over layout make me feel very comfortable at first glance.
I click on File drop down menu to import the bookmark from my Firefox that was previously exported as .html file. Unlike Firefox, Opera bookmark sidebar has a very clean look.
The default home page shows by default the cool Speed Dial feature (very similar to Only2Clicks.com), which allows you to create favorite sites with a small thumbnails showing the site front page. Adding a site is very fast and easy by clicking on the bland icon. This visual bookmark is very handy for less technically saavy people. You can find tip to customize the number of rows and thumbnails HERE!
As far as standard browsing, again, I was very impress with the rendering speed. A Web site with complex layout and contents filled with Flash and Java such our site, the rendering seems to be immediate and the Flash based video have no slowdown effect at all.
The next thing, I start wondering around looking for some unique features. The first thing I found is the Opera Link, which allows registered user to synchronize the bookmarks and other stuffs across computer and mobile devices (with the free Opera Mini for Java phones and the paid version Opera Mobile for smartphones). Once log-in to any computer with the Opera browser, you will find your environment including bookmarks, note, etc…Explore more explanation with this video. This is a great standard feature from Opera.
Quick Find: Like the Firefox 3, entering few words on the address bar will reveal all the places you have been with the same matching words. It is handy when you forget he page where you found that great article or that perfect gift? When using Opera the browser remembers not only the titles and addresses, but the actual content of the Web pages you visit.
Mouse gesture: using just holding your right mouse button and swift your mouse left and right will simulate the back and forward pages is something I try for the first time. It works well, but I have to get used to. Especially the back and forward buttons on the default skin are smaller then the one on Firefox 3. Hold the right mouse button and scroll the wheel will jump one tab to another.
Tabs and Sessions : Loading several tabs does not seem to slowdown the browser. Hovering on the tab will reveal the tab’s content in a thumbnail. You can even save a session of tabs for later, making it easy to pick up where you left off. View video demo
Panels: in Tools-Appearance, you can turn-on the panel, which shows icons such Bookmarks, Setting, Widget, Notes, Transfer (File Download Info), Browsing History, etc. The panel can be set to slide out of your main windows when it is not needed.
Widgets: Widgets are small Web applications (multimedia, newsfeeds, games and more) that make your desktop experience more fun and useful. Use the Widgets menu to discover new widgets and access your favorites. Visit widgets.opera.com to learn more.
Above are just my first observations, there are more features to explore and that is what I intend to do in the next few days. So far I think Opera is a very worthy contender to the modern browser. Feel free to add your impressions in the comment.
Download Opera 9.5 HERE! / Portable Opera 9.5 HERE!
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