The new browser based on the same technology as Google Chrome has finally exited the beta phase and is available for download on Opera. The core of the browser is very much similar to Google Chrome, running several of the same engines.
On the design front the browser has been revamped significantly, giving it a sleek aesthetic and functional approach. But even with all of these very welcome changes there is just a lack of overall features, many of which have been dropped from previous versions of Opera, but there are a few features which distinguish it from other browsers
Speed Dial:
- This is a feature which shows your most visited pages when you open a new tab, a similar feature is offered by Firefox and Chrome, that being said I find the Opera version to be the best.
Off-Road Mode:
- This feature allows you to use a proxy with fantastic speed as it first send the web page to the Opera servers then send a compressed and reprocessed version to your browser.
Stash:
- This is a functionality which allows you to temporarily store web pages, fantastic for when comparing products etc.
Discover:
- Discover is a way to find new websites which match your interests, similar to Stumble Upon but built into your browser.
As for performance it performs much like an unrefined Chrome, which is what it really is under the hood. And as it doesn’t really offer anything which Chrome doesn’t there isn’t a lot of incentive to switch. Hopefully with the Chrome branching webkit there the two browsers will go in separate directions giving the users a strong reason to pick either one than the other.
Opera will also be adopting a release schedule similar to
Overall the program has a long way to go to be a true competitor for the likes of Chrome and Firefox but is making strong stable steps to approaching that goal, with some more core features added it should be a good competitor.
