The fat lady is singing... (Opera Web Browser)

Member Name: cyberstoat

Product:	Opera Web Browser
Date:	19/01/01 (90 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A tight, slick, speedy little browser

Disadvantages: Goofy Java at times

Or at least, she is for the other browsers out there. Finally, an alternative to the overly buggy biggies is here. I don't need to list the problems that IE has, just look at their patch download list to see that. Similarly, my opinion on Ntscape 6 should tell everyone what I think of THEIR most recent effort. So it was with some delight that I managed to come across a fast ftp load of Opera 5.0 with full Java install. I'd heard tales, of course, that opera was meant to be very stable and easy to use. After my experiences with other products, I was dubious, but I gave it a go.

Wonderous! A very fast download and very tight. Netscape 4.76 UK release had been about 26 Meg, but Opera 5.0 full install was les than 10. A good start. It installed swiftly and with an easy interface.

Then I fired it up and blinked. What was I looking at? Smaller buttons, more control, and somethign which didn't flood my taskbar with popups all the time. OK, thinks my brain, what is the catch? Maybe it's memory hungry...

A swift click on the 'properties' section of 'My Computer' revealed that it was, in fact, using more of my system resources than either netscape 6 or IE 5.5 had done. Hmm. This did not bode well, perhaps the system was a little sluggish..

No way. Opera boast that they make the fastest web browser on the market, and as far as I can see they are right. This lovely little package flies. A test case: one of my credit cards offers the ability to manage your account online. For 3 months I have been trying to register, but whenever I do so, the browsers die on me as they cannot manage to process the information on the site. No idea why, nbut this has been the case for three seperate browsers. Opera 5.0 looked at the site and fixed all I needed in moments. I have yet to find a single website where my speed and overall appearance of the site hasn't been enhanced to a considerable degree.

High p
raise indeed, but it is worth it.

The email programme that comes with the browser is a little sluggish and not to my taste, so I'd suggest maybe looking for an alternative.

Incidentally, all sites that have analysed my browser have identified it as being IE 5.5 which suggests that it is running about the highest level of competency available at this time.

The one downside was that the browser is using Java Run Time Environment v1.3 which I think is not QUITE up to the job yet. It's had a few problems loading various applets as I've taken it for a test drive over some heavy Java pages owned by some friends of mine in the web development business. But it didn't crash on me like Netscape 6, so I shall forgive it that little error.

Go get it. Opera is a pretty fine and dandy little package. Good for all your browsing needs!

Summary: