The Phantom of the Opera ...............was a web browser! (Opera Web Browser)

Member Name: HS28

Product:	Opera Web Browser
Date:	31/05/09 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It has a golden wand, it is fast and I like the speed dials

Disadvantages: Vista didnt like it and it conflicted for me

**Opera**

Before I found Google Chrome I had escaped from the dominant King of Browsers Microsoft Internet Explorer to Firefox and then Opera. Like I said in my Chrome review I had been with Microsoft for years as I didn't know there were competitors or how safe and reliable they were to use. Opera was recommended to me by a techno savvy person as explorer kept crashing on me on both my Vista and xp computer and me and Firefox didn't seem to get along.


** Opera and getting it**

When I first heard of Opera I did think it was a silly name and kept reminding me of music and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Theatre Production which gets me singing the theme to it. But as it was recommended by people in the know I thought I would give it a go.

I googled Opera and was able to get straight into the page to opt to download. Opera has an oversized O and is red in logo and design. When you hit their page there is a clear green button to allow you to download the web browser (9.64 version) for windows.

It also operates as a browser for other devices like my current Samsung mobile phone. They also offer other products like Opera mail but I haven't tried that yet. Once you go through the download procedure it is pretty speedy and you get a big red O as a shortcut on the desktop to be able to access the browser. It gives you the option to make it your default browser.


**Using it**

I put Opera as my default but kept firefox and explorer as backups due to my vista problems!. When you open up Opera it has a distinct look to it and looks quite simplistic and classic. Across the top are the usual options for file, edit, view, bookmarks, widgets, tools and help. Underneath this you have a tab type bar where you have a homepage which can be made a speed dial page of your favourite 9 web pages.

My newest web browser of Chrome has a similar option to this and perhaps got the idea from opera. I love this idea of 9 mini snap shots of my favourite pages to click into. It is easy to right click next to the tab to open up a new page of speed dials or click the speed dial to open the page up automatically. Underneath this is the web entry box if you know the direct web address. Like the other browsers it will predict what you might be typing to speed up your search process. Underneath this are the buttons for fast forward and rewind, home and refresh and a small Google box too. You also get an ask jeeves box on the speed dial too. Down the left hand side which are hide able are little icons for bookmarks, widgets, notes, history and transfers for quick access.


**What is different**

Like Chrome which has followed the mini snap shots are good. The layout is clear and simple and it has a magic wand option to save passwords for your favourite sites which I did use but not for financial ones. I love the magic wand concept of clicking the golden wand and like magic you enter your sites! It is like being Harry Potter or a Wizard and swish swash the secret page opens!

I actually wondered what on earth a widget was as sounded like midget to me. Worked out though that widgets are interesting little devices like games, clocks, crosswords etc that you can add and are classed as fun and little useful devices. I haven't really used this function though. I used the bookmarks regularly though to add favourites. The transfer option is a record of documents you have downloaded via attachments which is also used in Chrome and Firefox.


**Overall Opinion**

Opera was easy to download and easy to set up my speed dials. I have found it to be fast in loading pages but not as fast as Chrome which outstrips it. It does predict quickly though what you might write in the address bar. I loved my speed dials and magic wand option too.

The reason I fell out of favour with Opera was that it kept crashing and conflicting with Vista and I would have to shut down the laptop to get it to open up again properly. As I have a lap top it tends to be on a lot and I am not as good at shutting down preferring to hibernate it more. This was therefore a bugbear when it kept crashing and meaning I had to go back to Firefox and Explorer which were a lot slower and more unreliable. I think this is a good web browser and reliable and safe and speedy but the flaw in it that if it does not respond you have to restart and that happened too many times. I have since moved to Chrome as my default browser and rarely dip into Opera now as chrome is far better. This is not entirely Operas fault though and is Vista which is known for its gremlins!


**Rating**

I would rate it 4 stars as I think my computer and my patience lost it with opera but I think it is still better than Firefox and Explorer. If I didn't have Chrome I would use Opera as my default but now it is relegated to second due to me now using chrome which is still going strong for me. In fact I need to go back to my Chrome review and upgrade it to 5 stars instead. As for Opera on my phone that has been a fabulous and easy reliable browser too!

As I said before one browser is not the best or perfect for everyone's uses and tastes so keep those options open and have a few back up browsers! If Vista had not been a pain and I had not heard of Chrome then I might have stuck with this browser as it is pretty good overall!

Summary: A good solid web browser and better than firefox and explorer

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