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Research finds Opera users are most satisfied

operawatch.com — “When the browser share is factored into the best browser voting, the analysis is even more revealing. The results imply that Opera has the most satisfied user base, followed by Firefox and [Apple’s] Safari,” according to NetApplications.

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  • kvicksilver, on 10/12/2007, -22/+43I don't doubt this. Not weird at all. As the article says, Opera is a well-kept secret: A person that understands that Internet Explorer is a rather crappy and insecure browser, almost always switch to Mozilla Firefox. Either by personal recommendations or because they simply have heard of it or thinks it is "like IE but better"...

    I was always using Opera when I was younger (back in 1999 or 2000) the Internet was something new, a bit scary and a huge place (56K modem, of course). Using something else than Opera felt strange, slow and well... Today: I'm a (full-time) Mac user, both private and professional use, and Opera just doesn't feel as right over here, on Mac OS X, as in for example Windows XP. However, it is occasionally running, on my MacBook Pro. :)
    • radu79, on 10/12/2007, -9/+55I use Opera since it became free (no ads), so that's almost 2 years now.
      I couldn't be happier with it, and I have very few issues with Opera (one of them being the fact that eBay is very slow).

      Previously I used Netscape 3.5, Netscape 4, IE 5, IE 6, and FF. Now I use Opera 95% of the time, and FF whenever I have some problems with sites in Opera.
    • cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -7/+24"Well kept secret..."
      Reminds me of "underground" music. Once the masses find about the cool "underground" band , the original fans become non-fans overnight.
      Even if the music hasn't changed at all...
    • Bluteau, on 10/12/2007, -6/+21I'm very satisfied with Opera.

      After using Opera, I feel the way I feel after the Risotto.
    • uberlord, on 10/12/2007, -33/+6I found Opera to be much more satisfying, and I would still be using it if it wasn't so unstable!
      It would literally crash every 20 minutes, and it couldn't keep a connection going for more than 10.
      Firefox never crashes for me, and it has almost as many features as Opera.
    • DiggFight, on 10/12/2007, -32/+11I was a paid Opera user for several years, but I switched to Firefox for these 3 reasons:
      - Rendering incompatibility
      - Higher rate of crashes
      - Lack of add-ons

      If they can fix the first two, and add support for firefox add-ons, I'd switch back in a heartbeat.
    • pwill, on 10/12/2007, -43/+8I found Opera to be bloated and ugly. I don't want a crappy email client built into my browser; I want a great browser and a great email client.

      It's better to do one thing well than to do 5 things poorly.
    • Twoodge, on 10/12/2007, -43/+7I switched from Opera to Firefox for two main reasons:
      1) Lack of add-ons and customisability in Opera
      2) Where are the shortcut keys?! I'm used to new-tabbing with CTRL + T, closing with CTRL+W, etc. I'm not sure if Opera has implemented shortcut keys yet, but until they do I'm sticking with FF.
    • gaervern, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Opera has shortcut keys. I have been using opera almost since the beginning. I started because Opera was way faster than netscape (ie abandoned for security reasons). Now I use FF with sage as a quick and easy feed-reader. Opera has buried the feed reader in the e-mail reader, which I don't use. However, Opera mini has a great feed reader for mobile phones. I believe opera will survive on various devices. I will install Opera on the PS3 once I get it going on linux.
    • DarknessGP, on 10/12/2007, -12/+5umm, I used Opera about 3 or 4 years ago... it was great back then. I switched to FF cause Opera was giving me problems, and I really didn't like the direction they were taking it. I visited it every few months to see if it's changed, seems they keep going in that same direction and personally that's the sole reason I switched and have remained with firefox.
    • wabbiteh, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13twoodge: shortcut key customizability is one of opera's strengths -- you can create a shortcut for pretty much anything. (Tools -> Preferences... -> Advanced -> Shortcuts)

      I'm an opera user, and I still keep firefox around for the sites that don't work in opera. My only real gripes with opera are that there is some difficulty in customizing it (though if you learn how to edit the .ini file, you can do a *lot*), and I do occasionaly miss some firefox extensions (fortunately, nothing is a real deal-breaker, as Opera includes enough by default -- but I would still like to make some changes to the browser's functionality that can only be made through extensions.)
    • abid786, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7The new Speed Dial thing they have in version 9.20 is awesome. Although it is really nothing special (it's possible to write a FF extension that does the same thing in 15 minutes), it's still pretty cool :-).
    • jcholewa, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5@wabbiteh
      > My only real gripes with opera are that there is some difficulty in customizing it
      > (though if you learn how to edit the .ini file, you can do a *lot*)

      Just a note in case you didn't know: A lot of the configuratio that you can do by editing the ini file can also be done by surfing to opera:config while in Opera.
    • themoose, on 10/12/2007, -14/+7The definitive guide;

      Opera > Firefox > Various Other Browsers > ***** > Internet Explorer
    • spanner, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Opera's great, used it for years. IE is still trying to play catchup on it.
    • renegadeafk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Firefox is a great browser which I've used for years, but it takes forever to start up and you have to install extentions to get alot of features. Opera has a better "Out of the box" experiance, it comes with mosue gestures, IRC ect... Overall I've been more satisfied with opera, it's been faster and more stable, the only annoying thing is that there are more websites that do not work in opera than in IE or firefox. I love the new "speeddial" feature in the latest opera beta.
    • JaXaL, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2***** bastards, lets digg their server to a crash.

      FIREFOX FOR THE WIN!!!!!!
  • Dumbledorito, on 10/12/2007, -7/+14The satisfaction with Safari seems odd. I just visited a friend of mine who uses Safari and Firefox. He says he only keeps Safari around because he used it from day one on his mac, and he can't find a way to port his favorites over to a different browser.
    • puffinkiss, on 10/12/2007, -6/+35Tell your friend File>Export Bookmarks in Safari then File>Import in Firefox.
    • Dumbledorito, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Could he have an older version, or just not know the function exists?
  • lemmingscanfly, on 10/12/2007, -10/+34Its strange, I switched back to using Opera today. You just can't leave it even after using firefox for months. :)
  • hockey, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20link to the original source

    http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/115497.html
  • ralphmalph914, on 10/12/2007, -34/+11The only Opera browser I shall use will be on my DS.
    Now digg me up before you go go!
    • mywhitenoise, on 10/12/2007, -32/+2What a waste waste waste of money!
  • drdepoy, on 10/12/2007, -9/+20another satisfied opera user. I love the email client as well. The first thing i do when i get a new computer (after setting XP into "classic" display mode) is to download Opera.
  • mywhitenoise, on 10/12/2007, -34/+3They all serve the same purpose, I honestly can't find any huge differences to favor one over the other. I have Safari, but don't use it, Firefox has more eye candy, same with Camino, I really don't see a point to switching to Opera...it's just a browser.
    • kevin45, on 10/12/2007, -5/+17So you're saying you use IE?
    • gb506, on 10/12/2007, -12/+3@kevin45

      No, he's on a Mac, there is no IE for Mac anymore. Thankfully...
    • pwill, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7@gb506
      Yes there is...
      It's just not supported by MS anymore.
  • dontbejack, on 10/12/2007, -16/+12While I don't doubt this, I just never found Opera to be a good browser for my usage.
  • D3koy, on 10/12/2007, -20/+13Opera users may be more satisfied, but Firefox users are much bigger fanboys...myself included...
  • Hazardc, on 10/12/2007, -22/+39What a surprise, people who use a niche market item are more satisfied with their product


    oh what breaking news.
    • mcspectrum, on 10/12/2007, -26/+32Which niche? People who browse the web?
    • 7of7, on 10/12/2007, -17/+6People who feel a sense of superiority based on the software they use. It's the same kind of people who listen to records still because they "just sound better to the expert ear."
    • MrUnderbridge, on 10/12/2007, -12/+5People who feel a sense of superiority based on the software they use. It's the same kind of people who listen to records still because they "just sound better to the expert ear."

      In other news, the emperor is very satisfied with his new clothes.
    • Lain1k, on 10/12/2007, -9/+13I think what he means by niche is the fact that Opera is not as know as Firefox and IE. So the people who are using do so because they went out to find something that accommodated their needs. When they found it they stuck with it. So now that you poll the people who are users of it, the ones that stuck with it because they like it despite other options, it's not surprising people are gonna be satisfied.

      I am a little more surprised Firefox was second. I would think IE would be. Maybe this is a misconception but my idea of an IE user is someone that doesn't know there are better alternatives out there and is satisfied with what they have.

      Plus the more customers you have the more chances there are people who are not as satisfied with what they are using.

      Just my 2 cents

      Oh BTW I used Opera about a year or so ago and didn't care for it.
    • TheG2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9"People who feel a sense of superiority based on the software they use. It's the same kind of people who listen to records still because they "just sound better to the expert ear.""

      So the entire linux community? Sorry, but you just described the fanboys (a lot of Digg) in detail.
    • mirzmaster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Why is LAIN1K being buried? It's a sound theory and it makes sense.

      Opera *is* a relatively niche product and it makes sense that its users sought it out and are thus more likely to be satisfied. The larger and more varied your user base, the less overall satisfaction you're likely to have (based on varying needs/wants).
  • bawilson2, on 10/12/2007, -20/+4I tried Opera out for awhile but didn't like it because it seemed slower. When I got fed up with IE and tried some of the other browsers out there and have just stuck with Firefox.
    • TheG2, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8Opera is actually the fastest browser in the ACID test...so yeah...
  • kevin45, on 10/12/2007, -14/+7I think Opera blew it by initially charging for the browser.

    I'll always use Firefox because I like its layout and plugins better.
  • youthagainstfas, on 10/12/2007, -15/+7personally i found opera very fast, but tedious to debug css for.
  • linuxwarz, on 10/12/2007, -21/+5buried. I do not think an article like this coming from a website called operawatch wont be a little bias.
  • aahpandasrun, on 10/12/2007, -18/+7Opera just doesn't have the customizability or extendability that Firefox has with the extensions. Widgets? Come on.
    • worbd, on 10/12/2007, -6/+14It's easier to customize Opera than Firefox in general. You can have extensions for Firefox, but in Opera it's easier to change the UI itself.
  • jcaino, on 10/12/2007, -6/+9i like opera, but i do have some issues with it on the linux platform.

    it doesnt work very well with some sites - sites which firefox renders wonderfully. also, embeded video playback is hit-or-miss - more often than not i find myself switching over to firefox to view web pages and videos.

    it also has more of a propensity to crash than firefox. sometimes, it only partially crashes - the plug-ins stop working altogether and displays a 'opera has crashed' warning, but never closes.

    i'll be sticking with firefox for the time being - especially with the abundance of add-ons available.
  • Karted, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4I used opera but uninstalled it because i preferred Firefox i have been using Firefox for a long ***** time and wouldn't use anything else ever it has never done me wrong.
  • SteelFrog, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14My only major beef with Opera is that when I click the middle mouse button to scroll, the arrow appears in the middle rather than the place I clicked. It annoys me to no end.
    • davidadam, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I guess no one believe me if I said that that's actually something I miss when I have to use another browser.
      Happy Opera user here, btw.
    • psionicman, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Back when I did the majority of my browsing on a PC, a friend of mine tried to get me to use Opera, and that little feature is what totally killed it for me. I'm pretty sure that not only did the arrow appear there, but then when you got out of scroll-mode, your mouse pointer was *still* in the middle of the screen.

      Holy *****, don't move my pointer like that! Maybe I had it positioned where it was positioned for a reason...
    • ColonelKilkenny, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If the scroll icon would appear to the place where it was clicked both horizontal and vertical scrolling would be quite hard to do.
      If I remember correctly in Firefox you cannot scroll to left or right, only up and down. There's the difference.

      I guess.
    • ColonelKilkenny, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Actually I call bs on my last post above. You can scroll both horizontal and vertical in Firefox. My bad.
      Anyway, I prefer the way Opera does it. It's somehow easier to control when you can move that arrow see clearly where is it pointing to.
  • squeevey, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15I have been using Firefox...but it's slowed down a LOT! It used to be lean and fast...but not anymore. I use it to develop but Opera is my browser now.
  • ElwoodHerring, on 10/12/2007, -8/+14I'm also a long-time Opera fan, but let's face it, ANYTHING is better than Insecure Explorer!
  • zgeorge, on 10/12/2007, -10/+2Using opera on the wii is frustration. Granted, it's beta, but gosh, the number of times it just resets
    itself! Try browsing some game lists on gamespot.com with the opera browser on the wii
  • IanWhalen, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3is that "satisfied" or "self-satisfied"? :)
    • raybury, on 10/12/2007, -12/+14Firefox users are the most self-satisfied. The smug pollution is enormous.
    • libertao, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@raybury
      Uhh....are you reading these comments?
  • coldcoffee, on 10/12/2007, -16/+14Replace 'satisfied' with 'smug'. If you find this fitting, you can replace 'Opera' with 'Apple' for bonus points.
    • worbd, on 10/12/2007, -11/+10Seems to apply for Firefox users to an even greater degree. They are infamous for their Apple-like zealotry...
  • geronimo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12I have used opera for at least 5 years and I use it because its javascript parser/compiler is faster than all other browsers, and with so many sites using javascript these days, browsing the internet is faster with Opera. Also its memory footprint is pretty low and it's fast overall since it is meant to scale down to phones. I use firefox for web development, otherwise I find firefox slow and memory hungry.
  • ninetimes, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7I don't doubt the research, but it seems like you could go too far in interpreting these results. It doesn't follow that Opera is necessarily the browser we should all be using, or that we would all be most satisfied with Opera, but only that the people who use Opera are more satisfied with Opera than the people who use other browsers are satisfied with their browser.

    It occurs to me that there's basically no reason to use Opera if you're dissatisfied with it. You might be dissatisfied with IE, Safari, or Konquerer/Firefox, but those browsers come with your OS if you're using Windows, OSX, or Linux respectively. Therefore, there will probably be a lot of people who aren't satisfied, but aren't dissatisfied enough to download something else. Also, lots of IT departments these days are standardizing either on Firefox or IE.

    Opera, OTOH, has to be purposefully downloaded and installed. If you don't find it to be the most satisfying browser around, why would you bother getting it when you could get a different one?
  • ramunas, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7I'm happy with my Opera, sure it has its own bugs just like all others, but I still love it.
  • digitallysick, on 10/12/2007, -12/+4I like opera alot, but FF is very powerful with extensions. Plus the opera "widgets" are pointless

    FF>Opera
  • CaptShmo, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1i looove opera, my one big complaint is the lag of an awesome extension functionality like firefox and such a devoted group of opensource developers backing it. If Opera could get a similar system working for it then it would be a force to be reckoned with.
    • TheG2, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8Don't forget, those extensions are a large part of the Firefox "memory leak".

      And Opera comes with the extras default. In all actuality, many Extensions come from Opera's features.
    • christophocles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Even with the "memory leak" and many extensions and occasional slowness I find Firefox to be more satisfying... More than once I've tried to switch over to Opera and use it exclusively (I have both installed) but there is just something about its interface that is annoying to me. It just seems like it will not do what I tell it to do sometimes, or it feels like it is not responding after I type in an address and then suddenly decides to start loading the page (same thing with WinXP and Ubuntu).

      I know it is probably a personal preference issue, but I find Firefox to be more responsive and feature-complete when I install all of the extensions that *I* want in it. I don't care that Opera has a torrent client because I'm just going to be be using Azureus or uTorrent, and I don't use mouse gestures. I like session management but there is a nice Firefox extension for that. I can't stand using the regular search window that Opera/IE use after using Firefox's "scroll-as-you-type" finder.

      All-in-all, I don't notice too much of a performance difference between the two with my daily usage (which involves 15+ tabs open regularly). That's also with about 10 extensions installed in Firefox. I haven't looked into using the Opera "widgets" but you can find a Firefox extension to do just about *anything*, and I don't think Opera can compete with that.
  • msr911, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Opera is great, can't go without the back and forward mouse feature(I know there is a firefox extention with this feature but it's just not the same) I always find myself doing this in Safari or IE(sometimes you are just forced to use it) and ending up with a rightmouseclick menu and needing to click back.
    • BradleyBo, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2"I know there is a firefox extention with this feature but it's just not the same"

      Yes, it is.
  • Tarnum, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14Opera is perfect for low-end machine. Everything is integrated - mail, download manager, torrent client, irc chat, ad blocker, etc.... It's like Norton Communicator, but done right.

    /End of Preaching : )
    • christophocles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0That's pretty right-on, I'll agree with that. That's why the higher-end machines that I use have Azureus+Thunderbird+Firefox+multiple extensions+GAIM/Trillian. They provide the functionality that I like. If my machine becomes unusable with all of that, then I guess I'll just use Opera. I'm glad the option is there.
  • sinkhead, on 10/12/2007, -11/+4I used to use Opera but a few websites didn't render properly on it.
    So now I'm back to FireFox
    • DooM, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10I used to have that problem - it doesn't do that much anymore. Try the newest version.
    • ThePict, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8I used to use Firefox but a few websites didn't render properly on it.
      So now I'm back to Opera
  • neodorian, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4I haven't had much experience with Opera on the desktop but Opera Mini is much faster on my Treo than Blazer (the default). If it just stopped crashing once every 5 minutes it would be awesome but unfortunately the crashes make it near unusable. That may just be a combination of the browser and the Treo though.
  • Crimsoneer, on 10/12/2007, -23/+4Thats because people dissatisfied with Opera switch for FF. People disastisfied with FF....well, they just stick to it, cos its the best around.
    • RyeBrye, on 10/12/2007, -5/+24Based on your comment, I can assume two things about you:
      1. You have never actually used Opera
      2. You think being a Firefox fanboy is cool.
    • psxman, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0People dissatified with Firefox switch to Epiphany, actually.
    • HigherLogic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@ryebrye:
      "1. You have never actually used Opera
      2. You think being a Firefox fanboy is cool."

      Looks like you nailed it. Or if they have 'used' it, it was for a day or so. It's always going to take a little bit of time to adjust to a new browser, especially when you're used to the features, commands, shortcuts, placement, etc., of your old browser. I bet if most zealous Fx users would give Opera an honest shot, they'd really enjoy it.

      One thing I really enjoy about Opera is their caching feature, it's incredibly fast compared to how other browser I use cache a website. The mouse shortcuts are great too, and the built-in features that are extensions on Fx are always a plus. Just overall a smooth, clean, light-weight browser that has just the right amout of percs without going overboard.

      And the users aren't self-righteous pricks that are comparable to those of Apple :)
  • Slacker1031, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6I used opera for the longest time, then Firefox 2 was released. So i went ahead and downloaded that, and thought i'd never look back. but then stuff started going wrong. My bookmarks wouldn't work right, Images wouldn't load properly, It would crash when loading google home, and it would randomly log me out of random sites whenever it felt like it. So i switched back to opera.

    Honestly alot of web browsers have visible wear over time. I've yet to see any with opera. Plus the magic wand tool is a life save for those sites you haven't visited in forever, and forgot both username AND password for.
  • TheHappyRobot, on 10/12/2007, -7/+5when I was a child my family had AOL.

    One of my greatest internet experiences was finding out that I could use IE instead.

    Now I make sure everyone uses FireFox, but that's natural selection for you.
  • fleetmouse, on 10/12/2007, -6/+7I'd use Opera more if it had an open architecture like Firefox, where anyone can create useful plugins - instead of only those retarded desktop widget thingies. Useful things like DownThemAll, FireFTP and FoxyProxy.
    • Ramble, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5You can, check out UserJS.
    • fleetmouse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hmmmm. I checked it out and it seems to be the equivalent of the grease monkey plugin for Firefox. Nice enough but the thing about FF is that the entire interface is scriptable and extensible. Addon developers can almost do everything with their code that the FF developers can. Opera just isn't built that way. It's more of a standard compiled app. They'd have to rewrite it almost from the ground up - which is what the Mozilla team ended up doing with the Netscape codebase, and what Jamie Zawinski complained about bitterly, but it paid off in the end.
  • whisperedlie, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4i'm not knocking opera, but with only an estimated 1.5 to 3% usage, that statement ("opera users are most satisfied") means almost nothing. people aren't going to use a less popular browser because they hate it.
    • eatasandwich, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4That is an inarguable fact that has been mentioned a few times on here and yet dugg down. Strange.
  • MadOgre, on 10/12/2007, -6/+14"Research finds Opera users are most satisfied"
    .... in bed.


    /Fortune Cookie
  • Ozymandius3, on 10/12/2007, -14/+2Firefox is good, Opera is bad.

    Digg me down!
  • Ozymandius3, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2Firefox is bad, Opera is good.

    Digg me up!
  • samthegecko, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1ff > opera
  • 2shae, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2To me Opera never felt right on windows XP

    But now I use OS X and to me Safari feels and looks(with aqua patch) really good.
    But I for me the Saft extension is crucial to use the search function just like in Firefox.
  • Synne, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Well i'm very satisfied. Fast secure and all the features i need.
  • swpnclr, on 10/12/2007, -6/+0I used to use Opera, now iam just back to Avant Browser, which uses the IE shell, and u can use Avant to have control of the security options that were barried or not available with IE GUI. The reason why i use Avant is that on my own website and on my contact page, Mozilla & Opera, Netscape wont display this page correctly and is shifted to the right. So, for those out there, who havnt tried Avant maybe give it a try if you use the IE you will certainly be better off.
    Digg Rocks!!!
    • Numfar28, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1"Mozilla & Opera, Netscape wont display this page correctly"

      There's a site for people like you:
      http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/wrongWithIE/

      Read through that and you'll see that the problem is with your site and with IE, not the other browsers. And to correct your terminology, Avant IS the IE shell, and uses the Internet Explorer rendering engine.
    • swpnclr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Numfar28 wrote: ""Mozilla & Opera, Netscape wont display this page correctly"

      There's a site for people like you:
      http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/wrongWithIE/

      Read through that and you'll see that the problem is with your site and with IE, not the other browsers. And to correct your terminology, Avant IS the IE shell, and uses the Internet Explorer rendering engine."

      Well, reading your article, as I take it you didnt read mine too closely, I do NOT have an issue with IE displaying MY website, as the article you referenced is suggesting; "And like most people, they test it in Internet Explorer on Windows (currently the most popular browser in use). It doesn't look quite right. This is usually due to a rendering or scripting bug in IE. IE has bugs?"
      Bug? WHAT BUG? My website shows up just fine in IE, and IN AVANT.....

      I noticed you run down the forums and put in your 2 cents here & there, thats kewl & All, but maybe you shoud read what I wrote instead of scanning through it quickly and not catching the exact statements.

      Good luck buddy~ and AGAIN, i dont have any Problems with IE displaying anything on my website, its that OPERA, Netscape, & Firefox that displays incorrectly the php that I use for my direct email from my contact page. All these other browsers display it all jumbled together with text and other parts of the page. Thanks for thinking exactly oppisite to what your URL is stating... uh.... blunder....

      peace
  • kag9000, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Firefox is great, I just prefer Opera. It's the little functions such as hitting the numpad plus and minus keys to zoom in or out of a web page. The sidebar to access email, transfers and notes. The way you can comprehensively custom-set the toolbars, the way you can view pages in certain modes, and finally the way you can block just about every ad server out there in one swoop.
  • DooM, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10I'm a self-confessed Opera fanboy - I paid for their original version, although, the free one is MUCH better. There used to be sites that wouldn't work in Opera - that never happens anymore.

    Three main reasons for my love:

    1) Mouse Gestures - if you start using them you'll never be able to use another browser. Ever. Forward, back, and close tab are indispensible to me now - have to be able to do that without pressing buttons or keys or I go nuts.

    2) Speed - it leaves everyone in the dust.

    3) Tabs that work - I hate hate hate a new site opening in a new instance of the browser instead of in a new tab. Opera never does this to me.
    • Alisic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Especially the mouse gestures imo. I can do mouse gestures in freaking miliseconds and without moving my mouse more than a few pixels in Opera. In Firefox, you have to take it more slow and explicitly indicate which gesture you're doing (to close a tab, you really have to do DOWN, RIGHT, in Opera it understands even if you do a more circular motion)
    • neodorian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4The gestures are something I've been interested in but haven't tried. I can see how it would become second nature very quickly. My mouse has 2 little side thumb buttons that are mapped to forward and back one page and since I got used to that I start going nuts when I don't have them on another mouse. It's crazy how used to the little things you can get.
  • DeucesWild, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I've been using opera as my main browser since 2001 when they still had adds (which was patched easily enough before it became completely free). I have the new IE and Fire fox also but they just don't compare to me. I'm too used to my mouse gestures and having the browser automatically load up with every page I was last looking at. Google is the biggest anti-Opera offender that I know of. At first Gmail wouldn't work with Opera and now there new page creator service won't either. In those rare cases where Opera won't work I have to use one of the lesser browsers. Fire fox can keep their extensions, Opera gives me everything I want (and then some) out of the box.
    • christophocles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Yeah it is pretty sad that Google would do that to Opera.. I really like it, I do. But I also can not live without my google browser sync.. I got sick of forgetting the address to some site I wanted to look at later.. so now my bookmarks stay with me on a remote server. That is probably the biggest thing I would miss if I were to start using Opera again. Just curious, is there any kind of Widget/Plugin/Extension that does this?
  • qrro, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I started using Opera over a year ago. Prior to that, I used to go back and forth IE and FF. Ever since I tried Opera, I never went back. I don't need to clutter my browser with a bunch of extensions because Opera does out-of-the-box everything I need. It has done it before and better than IE or FF, and I am not going to say that older versions were stable because I don't know, but I can tell you than in little more than a year that I've been using Opera, it hasn't crashed once.

    Thanks,
    • starf1re, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Adblock?

      I've used Opera in the past (even paid for it once), but left it because I encountered a lot of sites that didn't work in it. Sounds like maybe that score has improved... You say it includes everything you need out of the box? I've tried several firefox extensions, and usually don't bother with most of them.... but I really don't want to be without adblock. Can opera do that? If so, I'll give it another try.
    • Numfar28, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Actually, yes it does. It's called content block. Select the option from the right-click menu and it'll let you pick what you'd like to block. I've heard some Firefox people complain that it's not as powerful as adblock, but I've yet to come across a problem with it.

      More info:
      http://help.opera.com/Windows/9.00/en/contentblock.html
  • Alisic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6*high fives all Opera users*
    Woo! Speed, standards compatibility and great out-of-the box features rock, I somehow detest having to install extensions for things like mouse gestures etc.
    But Firefox is great too, imo, I just feel uneasy having lots of extensions taking up my memory.
  • DarkAlchemist, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2I disagree. I used Opera for two years. I liked some things about it but I ended up finding the things I liked about it on Firefox, working better. Opera couldn't load my forums so I ditched it for the much better Firefox.
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