Opera web browser

Opera  is a web browser and software package for working on the Internet. The manufacturer  - Opera Software  - positions its product as a fast and easy way to navigate the Internet. In addition to its direct functions, Opera has a mail client, address book, download manager, WAP browser, peer-to-peer system for working with BitTorrent and RSS aggregator. Designed for use on computers running Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, QNX, OS/2 and BeOS.

Popularity

Market of Russia

Шаблон:Main'Opera (Russian market)

In March 2009 , the number of users of the Opera Mini browser exceeded 23  million people  - this is 12.1 % more than in February 2009  and 157%   more than in the same period last year. In March 2009 , more than 8.6  billion pages were viewed by users. This is 17.4%  more than in February, and the result of a year ago was exceeded by 255%. 

Global Market

Шаблон:Main'Opera (global market)

The rapid growth in the number of Opera Mini users in Nigeria allowed this state to enter the Top 10 countries in terms of user audience in March 2009 , displacing Germany from the rating. Over the month, the number of web pages downloaded using Opera Mini in Nigeria increased by 4,000%, and the  number of users  - by 1500 %.

Opera Software announced in February 2013 that the total number of users working in its browser on phones, tablets, TV and computers reached 300 million. In recent years, the share of Opera mobile browsers in the global market has steadily decreased. According to Statcounter monitoring, it fell from 26% in January 2009 to 15.35% in January 2013.

History

The first version of the popular web browser and software set for working on the Opera world network was developed back in 1994 by a group of researchers from the Norwegian company Telenor. This browser is written in C++. The Opera browser was released in 1995 by two Norwegian programmers who created Opera Software ASA.

2021: Suspension of support for VPN services in Russia

Opera decided to suspend support for VPN services in its browsers in Russia in the form in which it was previously provided. This was reported to Izvestia on June 17, 2021 by Julia Shinzelorts, senior public relations manager of the company. She emphasized that Opera expects to continue to "remain committed to the privacy and security" of users.

2020: Vulnerability to circumvent content protection policy

Vulnerability in browsers based on the Chromium engine allows attackers to bypass the Security Policy (CSP) on sites in order to steal data and implement malicious code. This became known on August 12, 2020. The problem is present in Chrome, Opera and Edge. More details here.

2019

Opera 64 Tracking Technology Lock Feature

On October 9, 2019, it became known about the release of the updated version of browser Opera 64. One of the main innovations was the function of blocking tracking technologies used (advertisers and not only) to monitor the actions of users on the Web. Blocking trackers not only increases privacy protection, data but also increases browser performance. This Opera feature, together with the built-in ad blocker, is sure to increase the page download speed by up to 23%.

Like Ad Blocker, Tracking Technology Blocker is disabled by default. You can enable it for all sites, or you can disable it for individual sites.

The tracker lock feature is based on the EasyPrivacy Tracking Protection List and does not allow third parties to track and collect any personal data using known tracking technologies, including analytical scripts and tracking pixels.

Recently, browser manufacturers have been actively implementing "anti-tracking" functions in their products.

EasyList and EasyPrivacy is a set of rules originally developed for Adblock to automatically remove unwanted content from the Internet, in particular annoying advertising, banners and trackers. If EasyList is the primary filter for removing ads, including frames, images and objects, then EasyPrivacy is an optional additional list of filters that completely block all forms of tracking, including web errors, tracking scripts and collectors of information^[1].

Implementation of Yandex.Zen

2018

Browser announcement for PCs with built-in cryptocurrency

On September 24, 2018, Opera announced a computer Internet browser with a built-in cryptocurrency wallet. Thanks to the new feature, users can translate tokens and pay for purchases without installing additional extensions.

The Opera web browser is available for PCs on macOS, Linux, or Windows operating systems. By September 24, the program is in beta, but you can already test it by making a request on the company's official website.

The wallet operates on the basis of blockchain technology dApps - decentralized applications based on Ethereum. With its help, you can store "airs" in your account (in the future it is promised to support other cryptocurrencies), transfer currency to friends or carry out other financial transactions. Opera claims that the system is completely protected from hacking, passwords are encrypted. The encryption keys are stored in the user's phone.

The problem of hacking cryptocurrencies  is one of the  main threats to token owners. Blockchain cannot  be rolled back , and stealing funds  from an anonymous wallet usually means their  complete loss. So the promise of reliable protection against  hacker attacks  using built-in cybersecurity tools of the mobile operating system can really attract cryptocurrency users.

Users can associate a desktop browser with Opera for Android and confirm cryptocurrency transactions using a fingerprint.

Opera's mobile browser for Android devices with a built-in cryptocurrency was announced in July 2018. Then the project manager Opera Crypto said:

Paying   with the help of a cryptocurrency booklet built into your browser  is like transferring digital money directly  from your phone without credit cards  and permissions from a  bank. This opens up new opportunities for online sellers  and content creators.

Sync with Opera Touch, instant search and preview mode

On April 26, 2018, Opera announced the update of the desktop version of its main product - the Opera browser for computers. According to the developers, they embodied in the browser update a number of elements from Opera Neon and Opera Reborn.

The updated version is synchronized with the Opera Touch browser using the Flow function. Each time one or another content is added to Flow on one device, the same content instantly appears on another device. Flow uses end-to-end encryption and works independently of the operating system or device manufacturer. Flow allows you to transfer links, files, and other information between devices. Synchronization between the computer, smartphone and tablet takes place using the QR code without entering logins and passwords.

In the updated version of the browser, you have the option of instant search, which allows you to quickly find information on the network and manage open tabs. To find the tab, start Instant Search, press Tab, and enter a few keywords. You can search using Ctrl + Space.

Preview mode allows you to see search results over a tab. They appear in the middle of the page as a small window, which you can then close and return to viewing the previously opened site.

The update is part of Opera 52, released at the end of March 2018.^[2]

2017

Opera Software renamed Otello after selling browser business

On December 18, 2017, the renaming of the Norwegian company Opera Software was announced. The rebranding occurred after a massive sale of assets: a browser business and assets related to software for broadcasting television content and the VPN service SurfEasy. Opera browsers began to develop a company of the same name, but owned by a consortium led by the Chinese investment fund Golden Brick Silk Road.

Opera will have a function to protect against cryptocurrency miners

Opera will be the first browser to implement protection against miners built into sites and using the power of users' computers to extract cryptocurrency. A function called NoCoin is at the end of 2017 at the development stage, according to Bleeding Computer. It is included in Opera 50 Beta RC and should appear in the stable version of Opera 50, which will be released in January 2018^[3]

NoCoin is part of the ad blocker built into the browser. By default, the blocker is disabled and must be activated in order to use the feature. The decision of Opera developers to add miner protection to their product is dictated by the advent of the Coinhive service. The service was launched in September this year and allows site owners to use the power of their users' computers for Monero mining directly in the browser.

Coinhive is used on thousands of sites. Many of them are hacked and use computing power without permission from users. Coinhive is the first, but by no means the only, service of its kind. Almost every week, new copycat services appear, and one of the last appeared HashUnited.

The problem attracted the attention of not only Opera developers, but also Google engineers. In October, they began discussing the possibility of adding a function to Chrome requesting permission to run JavaScript code using processor power.

Google deliberately interferes with the work of the browsers Opera and Vivaldi

Co-founder and former head of Opera Software, Jon von Techner, accused Google of obstructing the work of Opera and Vivaldi browsers. About this he wrote a post on the personal blog^[4][5].

According to Jon von Techner, some Google services have recently become incompatible with Opera and Vivaldi. In order for users to continue to use them, the developers hid the User Agent - the identification data that the browser transmits to the site when it is visited and: the name, version of the browser and others. Von Techner also said that he discussed this problem with Google co-founder Sergei Brin, but this did not bring any results.

At the end of May 2017, Jon von Techner gave an interview to Wired, where he expressed his opinion on the methods of collecting personal data of Facebook and Google. Two days after the interview was published, Vivaldi's advertising campaigns on Google AdWords were blocked without warning. The company had to follow the new terms of Google, which related to user data and content on the Vivaldi website. Three months later, the lock was lifted.

Jon von Techner said that Google's monopoly among search engines and advertising sites negatively affected the company's policy. Also, the co-founder of Opera believes that it is necessary to begin to seriously regulate the activities of Google.

Opera introduced Reborn

On February 20, 2017, Opera introduced a version of the Opera browser with a modified visual design. The project was called Reborn.

In addition to the theme designed in dark tones, Opera Reborn offers a permanent sidebar, as in Opera Neon's "browser of the future," and integration with Facebook Messenger^[6].

The released experimental unstable browser assembly differs from the current version in a radically changed design. This version is intended for developers, the serial name of the version of Opera 44 Dev. In addition to design changes, there are no innovations in the assembly. Introducing the Reborn version, the company said it was the code name for a more extensive project and promised to tell all the details later.

Opera 43

On February 7, 2017, Opera announced the release of a version of Opera browser with instant page loading technology and a compiler optimization mechanism (Profile Guided Optimization).

The February update focuses on browser performance, the developers said.

Web browsers must evolve even faster to meet user expectations. Last year, we accelerated the Opera browser thanks to built-in ad blocking, optimized page loading speed and faster launch. Now, with Instant Page Loading Technology, we have further increased the speed of the browser, reducing the page loading time to almost zero. Christian Colondra, Head of Computer Browser Development Opera

The instantaneous page loading technology is based on an algorithm that allows the browser to predict which website the user enters in the address bar and begin downloading the page with a background before pressing<Enter>^[7] key<Enter>^[7]

This technology is able to remember which URL has led to the loading of a web page. For example, if the user repeatedly enters kommersant.ru, then the browser will learn to download the Kommersant site already at the stage of entering the site address. In addition, each time you search for certain information using the address bar, the browser will download the pages that are most relevant to the user in the background.

According to the development company, version 43.0.2 runs 13% faster than Opera 42. The browser engine has become more productive, this was confirmed by measurements of Speedometer (60.3% faster compared to Opera 42), JetStream (7.7%) and Octane (3.35%).

These achievements were made possible through the technology of optimization by the compiler (Profile Guided Optimization), it helps to increase the speed of software on Windows. With PGO, Opera can process compiled data faster by selecting the most important scenarios, while the compiler is able to determine the importance of a particular code.

2016

Opera 42 and the Browser War

On December 13, 2016, Opera Software announced the release of the Opera browser version for computers. In this version, in particular, a built-in currency converter appeared. According to the vendor's press service, Opera is the first browser in whose interface this function is built into.

The intelligent fast browser engine runs in Opera 42. It now takes into account the order of the tabs to prioritize running some of them when the browser is opened and remembers which tabs were used immediately before closing.

Opera Review 2016, (2016)

At the beginning of the year, we gathered to think about what people in the network really need. And we quickly realized that modern browsers do not pay due attention to the needs of users. People wanted a free VPN service, and their browser helped them interact with their favorite websites in a new way. Christian Colondra, Head of Opera Browser

As part of the list of additions in the Opera browser, in 2016:

• built-in ad blocker,
• battery saving function,
• the ability to "drop" the video into a separate window,
• personal news feed,
• Fast Start Browser
• built-in currency converter.

Browser wars really are back. We activated them this year, introducing a completely new way to work on the Internet with a desktop browser with a focus on speed, privacy and more rational use of the battery. It is interesting to watch how other browsers also try to follow this path and respond to similar solutions. Christian Colondra

Opera 41

On October 26, 2016, Opera Software introduced the version of the Opera browser at number 41.

The developers announced the acceleration of page loading, with a large number of tabs simultaneously open, increased battery life when using video calls in applications that support the standard WebRTC and when viewing videos in pop-out mode^[8].

The main innovation developers called an improved browser loading process. The first to load are those of the previously opened tabs that the user last worked with before closing. Next, the browser loads the attached tabs, then all the others.

According to company tests, with 42 or more open tabs, the browser download speed compared to the previous version increased by 86%. When tab 10, the load time is reduced by 50%. This is not the first browser to offer intelligent downloads: it appeared in Chrome 45.

Opera will use a hardware acceleration-capable codec, if any, for WebRTC video and power saving. In power saving mode, the browser will try to display fewer pixels to reduce the load on the processor. The video view window mode will use hardware acceleration. This mode displays the video in a separate process from the site on which it resides. This is expected to reduce the CPU load by 30%.

Opera sold browser business to Chinese

In July, 2019 Opera sold the browser business to consortium led by the Chinese investment fund Golden Brick Silk Road (the group also included the developer of the games Beijing Kunlun Tech, the producer anti-virus program obespecheniyaqihoo 360 Technology and investment Yonglian Investment).

For $600 million, assets related to the release of web browsers for phones and tablets, applications to increase speed and security on the Internet, as well as a share in the Chinese browser developer nHorizon and technology licensing business were sold.

Opera 12.8 - End of Support

On February 16, 2016, Opera announced the release of the latest update to its Opera 12 browser, which it abandoned in 2013 after replacing^[9] engine^[9].

Version 12.18 adds support for the ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) encryption algorithm. This fixed a problem when Opera 12 could not connect to websites using the specified method.

The release disables the TLS RC4 encryption algorithm. Mozilla, Google and Microsoft agreed to refuse to use it in September 2015. This algorithm was developed in 1987 and does not meet safety requirements. Vendors planned to completely remove its support from browsers in early 2016.

Opera 12.18 is only available for Windows users. For other platforms, the company did not issue an update. Download the release for Windows is available from the official website.

VPN built into Opera browser

Opera released a browser with a built-in VPN in the spring of 2016. It became the first of the popular browsers where such a function is implemented. The browser allows you to view sites through servers in three countries - the USA, Canada and Germany. Over time, Opera promises to expand this list. To connect a VPN, select the appropriate feature in the settings. You can use VPN in your browser for free and without restrictions.

VPN allows you to maintain anonymity while working on the Internet and bypass site locks, as well as provide additional protection of information when accessing the Network through public Wi-Fi.

Opera has an Opera Turbo feature that "compresses" traffic, speeding up page downloads for users. At the same time, all traffic passes through Opera servers, which indirectly helps bypass site locks. Functions similar to Opera Turbo are also available in Google Chrome and Yandex.Browser.

Battery Saving Mode in Opera Browser

This battery mode of the Opera browser extends the battery life to 50% compared to earlier versions of the Opera browser and with Google Chrome ( developer data). A web browser is one of the most commonly used programs on your computer. It is the browser that helps people work in the cloud, search the network, listen to music and watch videos. However, a large number of open tabs often lead to very fast battery consumption, which reduces the performance of laptops.

How does it work

Once the laptop cable is disconnected, a battery icon appears next to the search address bar in the Opera browser. You can turn on mode by clicking on this icon. The browser will also determine if the laptop battery discharges soon, and suggest activating the charge saving mode.

Increased performance

This version for developers of the Opera 39 browser contains even more performance improvements that will also extend the life of the battery. In particular, some parts of the code were simplified and animated themes were optimized. In addition, in this version, we are testing a more efficient way to manage memory, thanks to which constantly open tabs such as Gmail and Facebook will be more responsive.

2015: Opera 31 - change of name, logo

On September 22, 2015, Opera Software announced the refusal of the word "Software" in the name and change of^[10] logo^[10].

Opera Presentation, 2015

Opera introduced the logo and label image for all Opera browsers. The new logo and label are drawn in 3D format and look like a flattened torus. According to the company, the logo should be associated with a portal connecting users with what users are looking for on the network.

Browser Logo, 2015

The three-dimensional "O," according to the company, symbolizes a path leading to more: "More content, more discoveries, more answers, more communication, more data savings, more life - whatever the user is looking for online, Opera will provide him with more opportunities!"

Opera Software itself abandoned the word Software in the title as a sign that it is now engaged not only in software development, but also in Internet services.

Rebranding Opera was conducted by agencies - DixonBaxi, UK and Anti, Norway. The first created a global brand and creative strategy, the second - visual materials, a background drawing with the new Opera logo for the desktop, which the company published on its website for desktops and smartphones.

The logo and shortcut received the version of the Opera Mini mobile browser for the iOS platform.

The company will have to implement the brand in all products over the next few months. Opera for, Android Opera Mini for Android and for Opera computers - in turn, a changed brand in them will appear in a few updates. After that, Opera will change the logo and label in the data management application Opera Max, browser Opera Coast for iOS and other programs.

2012

Opera 12.10 beta

In addition to the new enhancements, Opera 12.10 provides new features for web developers. Using the Context Menu API, web developers are able to integrate their services with browser context menus, increasing user experience. The Resource Loader API tool allows extensions to interact with enhanced CSS and JavaScript capabilities on web pages.

In addition, the company has improved support for devices based on MacOS. Opera 12.10 now supports features such as Notification Center in the latest version of Mac OS X, and also supports Retina display in new Mac models.

• Context Menu API. Now the developers of Opera extensions will be able to change the context menus of the browser (also known to users as the right mouse button menu). This API makes it possible to add new functionality to context menus that makes it easier to work with social networks, online translators, and many other popular services.
• API for creating screenshots. Taking screenshots is not always easy (does everyone know where the Print Screen button is placed on the keyboard?), And it is even more difficult to share them with friends. By using the API to take screenshots from extension developers, Opera users get an easy and quick way to show friends what they see in their browser window.
• Data download API. The new API allows Opera extensions to use their own CSS and JavaScript to improve or change the functionality and design of web pages. For example, you can replace the fonts of the Comic Sans family with Helvetica or use advanced JavaScript capabilities on all browsed web pages.
• And again the standards. This isn't all API news yet. By increasing the number of web standards supported, we have added Fullscreen API and Page Visibility API support to enable developers to better manage page content display and optimize browser resource utilization.

For developers using web sockets, we also have good news. Opera 12.10 includes support for the most up-to-date implementation of web sockets with enhanced developer functionality and improved end-user experience. And this support is enabled by default.

• SPDY. At the head of a long list of performance and speed improvements, we present the SPDY network standard as an addition to the HTML protocol, promising a significant acceleration of web page downloads. In Opera 12.10, SPDY support is enabled by default and works with web pages that support this standard. For example, massive websites such as Twitter or Gmail support the SPDY standard in addition to the traditional HTML protocol.

In both worlds - Windows and Mac - this fall there were noticeable changes in operating systems. The new version of Opera 12.10 includes several innovations that allow you to more fully use the new features of these operating systems.

With the release of Mac OS X Mountain Lion, many new features have appeared that are built directly into the system. Opera 12.10 for Mac supports novelties such as Notification Center, Retina Display and built-in tools for publishing content on social networks.

Windows 8 will soon become publicly available, and Opera 12.10 includes support for some features of this OS. In particular, we added touch control support for Windows 8 Classic mode, and as a bonus - similar support for Windows 7.

Opera 12 (Wahoo)

There are several innovations in the new version of the program. There is support for new and improved topics, support for web applications with access to the personal computer webcam, support for right-to-left writing, new web standards, and new programming interfaces (APIs) that allow extensions to interact with tabs, create tab groups, and manage windows.

Added experimental support for hardware acceleration WebGL. Opera 12 can use a computer graphics card for additional power. This acceleration provides improved performance for web applications and games with more graphics operations.

Increased security level icon information, which provides a better understanding of the security policy of websites visited by the user. The icon indicates whether the site uses location information and requests access to the webcam.

Plugins in Opera 12 work in separate processes, so in case of failures, the browser continues to be functional. The browser received an increase in speed compared to the previous version - page loading, browser launch and HTML5 rendering accelerated. Support for 64-bit architecture on Windows and Mac has improved performance on modern computers.

New localizations were added: Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Urdu and Kazakh. Opera is now available in 60 languages.

However, it was not without losses. The new version does not support Opera Unite, widgets and voice control. The rejection of Opera Unite and widgets occurred due to the transition to a new universal add-on platform, and from voice control due to the fact that the necessary library is no longer supported by a third-party provider.

Opera changes the engine and turns into Chrome

The browser developer Opera, the Norwegian company Opera Software, officially announced in February 2013 that it would not use the original Presto engine in further versions of the browser and that it would switch to using WebKit. The development of Presto will be discontinued.

WebKit - an open engine used in the browser Safari, Chromium and all its derivatives: Google Chrome, Yandex.Browser, etc.

Part of the original developments of Opera Software, in particular, the "traffic compressor" Opera Turbo, is used in Yandex.Browser, developed by the domestic search engine also on the basis of the Chromium project. The press service of Yandex told CNews that the transition of Opera to WebKit will simplify the interaction of the development teams, since now they will work on the development of the same engine.

In addition to the WebKit itself, the developers of Opera Software plan to switch to the use of other components of the Chromium project, for example, the open JavaScript engine V8. Simultaneously with the use of open developments, the company's programmers will participate in their development.

Interestingly, despite the use of open code, Opera does not plan to disclose the final code of its browser. This opportunity is provided to it by the BSD license, under which Webkit is distributed.

As Opera Software promises in a press release, the transition of products to WebKit will be gradual: first, a new engine will appear in the Opera Mobile mobile browser for Android and iOS, after which the desktop version of the browser migrates to the WebKit.

By abandoning the original engine, Presto Opera Software intends to "optimize its resources and take a leading position in the field of mobile browsers for Android and iOS."

The company admits that the use of Presto in Android gadgets and iOS put the company "in a less favorable position compared to the WebKit engine originally optimized and integrated into these mobile platforms, which is used as a benchmark in the development of most mobile web applications."

Support for existing additions and add-ons for Opera will continue: developers will receive a utility for automatically converting their programs to a new platform.

It is worth noting that Presto's commitment did not have a very beneficial effect on the company's condition: in May 2012, Thenextweb reported that Opera Software had frozen the hiring of new employees and suspended part of existing labor contracts.

2011

Opera 11.50

One of the key innovations of Opera 11.50 beta are extensions for the Express Panel. They can turn it into a set of informers showing the current content of their favorite web resources. How does it work? For example, instead of a static site weather bookmark icon, you can add an informant of the same site to the Express Panel. Then the latest weather information in the area where the user is located will be displayed and updated directly in the Express Panel.

Another important innovation of Opera Swordfish was the secure synchronization of passwords using the Opera Link service. This feature is offered in response to requests from users of Opera browsers on different computers. Now they can "seamlessly" access their pages on Facebook, Vkontakte, Twitter or open a postal web service from home and office computers, without each time entering passwords from their accounts. For those who worry about keeping their data safe, Opera Link settings allow you to disable password synchronization. Recall that this service also allows you to synchronize bookmarks, Express and search panel, notes, history of visited pages between several computers with the Opera browser.

Opera 11.10

Today, April 12, a new stable version of the Opera web browser, Opera 11.10, has been released, which has been in beta testing since the middle of last month.

The new version, codenamed "Barracuda," uses the new Opera Preto 2.8 web page processing engine, expanded support for modern web standards, as well as a number of improvements. For example, the built-in mail client has a phrase search.

Added support for the Google WebP lossy image compression format offered in October 2010. "The JPEG format has been around for 20 years. It's time to change it to something newer, "the company's blog says. Opera assures that according to their own tests, the new format offers a much higher image quality with a smaller file size.

Significant changes affected the "Speed ​ ​ Dial" - in fact, in Opera 11.10, a new panel in which there is no longer a clear grid of screenshots-links. Shortcuts are now collected in a multi-storey ribbon that can be scaled down or zoomed out, freeing up space for new shortcuts or larger images.

In addition, the company significantly improved Opera Turbo technology. This feature, unique among desktop browsers, allows you to increase the speed of opening web pages on slow connections by compressing traffic on company servers before transferring to the user's computer.

According to representatives of Opera Software, now Opera Turbo works almost 4 times faster. According to internal tests of the company, the updated technology squeezes the web page of the website of BBC up to 724.1 CBs whereas earlier only up to 1111.0 CBs. The original page size is 1562.5 KB.

The same for the high-tech Wired blog: the updated technology performs page compression to 398.7 KB versus 546.9 KB earlier, while the original size is 1152.8 KB. Improvements were achieved in part due to the optimization of the company's servers, in part due to the transition to the graphical format of the WebP.

Opera Turbo Web Page Acceleration Technology first appeared in the tenth version of the web browser. In addition, it is used in the Opera Mini mobile web browser. The technology is most useful when connecting slowly to the Internet, for example, over the EDGE channel, when the mobile phone plays the role of a modem.

2010: Opera 11

Opera 11 is Opera's first browser with extensions - software additions created using the Opera API and implemented on the basis of open web standards, such as HTML5 and JavaScript. Extensions allow users to increase the functionality of Opera themselves, adding new options directly to the browser. Until now, this was possible only with the help of widgets and Opera Unite applications running "on top" of the browser.

Developers can create extensions based on the same web standards used to create websites and web applications. Moreover, small changes to the code will allow developers to port to Opera 11 extensions that they have already created for other browsers.

According to statistics, the five most popular extensions include NoAds (advertisement blocker), LastPass (free password and form manager), FastestTube (video loader from YouTube), Image Preview (preview of images in a pop-up window) and Translate (automatic translator of web pages).

In the new version of the program, the function of grouping open tabs also appeared - by analogy with the Firegfox Panorama function implemented in the beta version of Firefox 4. To create a tab group, drag one tab to another. Tabs can also be docked, in which case they are moved to the left of the screen.

Improved mouse gesture control. This feature was first implemented in the Opera browser in 2001. Now users will see visual hints of manipulator movements in the browser window.

In order to make travel through the web safer, the developers changed the address line. Now the user immediately receives information about the security of the page that he opened. Opera 11 displays the security level in a special icon in front of the address field. Clicking the icon provides details about the security of the page.

Finally, browser performance increased, and the installation file subsided by 30% (compared to Opera 10.60). The Opera 11 browser is available for free for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms via this link.

2008: Opera 10

On September 1, 2009, Opera Software introduced the final version of its Opera 10 browser with the new Opera Turbo feature, which allows you to significantly increase the download speed of web pages. Opera 10 is available to users in 43 languages.

Opera Turbo  is a special engine that can automatically determine the speed of connection to the network and, if it decreases, compresses the content of web pages, which allows you to download the site faster.

According to representatives of the company, the best indicator that was achieved during the testing of Opera Turbo  is eight times faster loading of web pages compared to other browsers.

The Opera 10 interface has been completely redesigned, and a number of new features have appeared in the browser. So, now it is possible to change the size of the tabs, place them at the bottom or side, and configure a special express panel.

In addition, in the Russian version of the new Opera browser, access was added to many popular Russian-language services, including the Yandex search engine, the VKontakte social network, the Mail.Ru portal, the Ozon.Ru online store and others.

Opera 10 also has the functions of automatically updating to the latest version of the program, proofing, e-mail client , etc.  For web developers, a new version of the special application Opera Dragonfly is available for editing and optimizing sites.

Functionality

The Opera browser is fast and compatible with basic web technologies. The distinctive features of Opera for a long time were a multi-page interface (a system of tabs in the program window) and the ability to scale the displayed documents as a whole, along with graphics; subsequently, these functions appeared in other browsers.

Opera has expanded the functionality of using the mouse: in addition to the standard navigation methods, the so-called "mouse gestures" are provided. Browser security includes:

• Built-in phishing protection
• additional encoding of the information stream when working with pages containing requests for confidential information;
• the ability to delete HTTP cookies, clear the history of visits with a single mouse click, as well as the Speed Dial launch panel.

One of the features of the browser  is the ability to quickly navigate to the most frequently visited pages.

This browser also supports the so-called "widgets"  - small web applications that can be launched from inside the browser. Opera also supports voice control and the ability to connect "narrators," which is very important for people with visual impairment or limited motor capabilities: there is voice control and the ability to connect "narrators." With various settings, the user can customize the interface to their liking.

Notes

Links

• Official site