"Opera Software chief Jon S. von Tetzchner's Web browser, popular with many hardcore computer users, hasn't taken over the industry. The Norwegian company's browser has been around for 12 years but has just 1.5% of the market. Compared to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, or even Mozilla's Firefox, it barely qualifies as an also-ran. But unlike its competitors Microsoft and Mozilla, Opera is focusing a lot of attention on noncomputer devices: mobile phones, videogame consoles or just about anything else you can stick a screen on."
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Member since:2006-01-03
Regarding clutter and layout issues I have to agree with Joe User and say that I'm a little bit confused by these claims. Everything in Opera is customizable by drag and drop, downloadable customizations (see http://operawiki.info/Opera for one source), as well as opera:config. I really love the fact that with items that are already in place on your toolbars you have to hold Shift in order to move things...that way there is less opportunity for accidental removal/modification. Another feature that I find really useful is the ability to bring back accidentally closed tabs using Ctrl-Z.
Other than marketing I can't think of a single reason that Opera doesn't have more market. Literally every person I have shown it to now uses it as their default.
Edited 2006-11-13 03:53
Member since:2005-11-16
"Another feature that I find really useful is the ability to bring back accidentally closed tabs using Ctrl-Z."
A big +1.
Now, on "Everything in Opera is customizable", I'd like to right click on a bookmark and modify the name or URL of that bookmark -- can't do it. Or is there a better way?
BTW, I use all three browsers: Opera, IE, Firefox, after 3 months, I found myself use Opera the most.
Member since:
2005-11-13
[quote]I hate the layout. I hate the clutter. I cannot reconfigure/adjust the layout to one that doesn't provide some sort of personal annoyance.[/quote]
Agree with you 100%. The only reason I'm using Opera is because the built-in text-to-speech (Windows only) is the best I've heard anywhere. If it wasn't for that, I'd much rather use Firefox. (And yeah, I know there's Foxyvoice, but it just ain't the same.)
A lot of people will say they don't like Opera because "it can't do this or that", but if you screw around with the settings long enough, you'll probably figure out that it can do what you want, you just have to jump through hoops in order to get there.
IMHO, Firefox's extension system is a royal pain in the ass, but it's better than the hacking of .ini files I had to do in order to get Opera working the way I wanted. And even still, when I click a hyperlink in an email message, I got TWO Opera browser windows ... one with the link I clicked on, and the other with an error message. I know there's a fix for this .. in fact, I remember reading a post on the Opera message forums about it .. I just have to go back and find it. Still though, it's just little annoying f**king things like this that make me wish Firefox had Opera's text-to-speech capabilities.