Web browser with a focus on ease of use and user privacy and security
Web browser with a focus on ease of use and user privacy and security
Opera Browser download. Always available from trusted servers.
- Free & fast downloader (more info)
- Always available
- Tested virus-free
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What is Opera Browser
There are many Web browsers available to view the Internet, but Opera is one of the best mainstream alternatives. First created in 1994, this browser is one of the oldest World Wide Web viewers. Opera has been at the forefront of pushing adoption of the Web around the world while bringing new features that were later featured as standard. Opera is one of the grandparents of the modern Internet and should be downloaded to try out.
Google the Opera Experience
Opera is currently on the nineteenth version. Since Opera fifteen, the company has dropped the proprietary engine that all previous Opera browsers were based on and used an engine known as Blink. This engine is culled from the Chromium Project, a Google founded open source initiative to help make the Web a better place. This has helped Opera in many ways, but has also decreased the uniqueness of the platform.
The Con-ing tower
Embracing of the Chromium Project has stripped Opera of many unique features. These features include a good backwards compatibility to older browsers and the email client. However, the rapid iterations of the browser make it possible that the features left out of the project will make it in to future versions of the product. One feature, the popular in-browser email application, has been branched off to be on its own.
The company has brought back the bookmark bar, missing since it moved to the new open source software, but doesn’t have a regular bookmark menu. This company seems to be going two steps forward and one step back with each incarnation.
There is also an issue with extensions. The company doesn’t seem to be able to get companies and users to create the same amount available for other platforms. This may be because Opera isn’t the most popular browser. This should be fixed as usage of the browser grows.
Pro Views
One of the best things about adopting the new open source software is the ability to rapidly prototype and release new versions of the browser. There have been four versions of the product since March 2013, a pace that far outstrips the previous fourteen releases.
The browser also fixes one of the major complaints about the precious versions: how slow it was to access the Internet. The speed of Opera is fast and matches that of Google’s own Chrome browser. This is a great response to the ever-changing Internet that demands faster access speed from Web browsers.
The features of the desktop browser are starting to blossom as well, although it isn’t anywhere near as feature-rich as it was in the past.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The browser is blazingly fast.
- Opera is becoming a much more feature-rich browser.
- It is constantly improving and updating.
Cons
- There are not as many features as in old versions of Opera.
- It doesn’t have the same amount of extensions as other browsers of note.
- When it adds features, sometimes Opera misses points that have been included since Web browsers debuted in the 90’s.