Re: Opera 6

[scuzzy]

Bear,



I'm on Opera 6 right now, but my Poasters Username won't accept. Any ideas?





Alex Garcia

[scuzzy]

Nevermind, I guess it did. But it didn't show that way at first.



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Alex Garcia

[n/a]

Alex, are you still able to preview poasts? I get a Javascript error today when I try.



Glad you're finally trying Opera. By the way, you can use all the aqua blues you want in the Browser Look section of Preferences -- change the font, whatever. I also like to have a border around buttons, brightens things up a little. Lots of tweaks to play with, so give it a little time and see if it grows on you.



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[John]

Bear, are you using XP pro or home edition.



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John

[n/a]

The Home Edition retail version. I may get a chance to try the Pro Editon in the next few weeks, but from what I've heard the major difference is in the expanded administrative area, geared more toward large network\server environments. Didn't see a need, and the dang Home version is pricey enough.





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[timoch]

I've been using Opera 6 for a couple of weeks, and 5.12 prior to that on Win98SE. It is faster and has a lot of good features, but I do have a couple of complaints about Opera:  It takes considerably longer to start up after clicking on the icon (compared to IE6).  This is particularly annoying when I try to view jpegs that have become associated with opera.  The other complaint is that a lot of sites that use Flash and MS media player don't seem to work very well even though I have installed the plug ins.  An example is twistedtunes.com.  

Popupkiller seem to have some problems with Opera 6, even using the latest build.

Langa and Lockergnome became dissillusioned with Opera after using it for a while.  I think I will give it a couple more months before registering it or deleting it.



 

[n/a]

Ron, I'm running Opera 6 on XP primarily, so my experiences may be a little different, but I do have a couple of comments.



First, you don't have to open JPEGS in Opera. Opening them in IE should be faster due to IE's integration into Windows, but about any graphics program is better for viewing JPEGs than ANY browser. I'm using Paint Shop Pro 7 to allow me quick access to editing as well as viewing, but even freeware graphics viewers are quicker than a browser. Whatever program you decide to use, you can uncheck JPEGs from Preferences, Default Browser in Opera and then choose another program to associate for viewing pictures. I have Opera set as the default only for .htm, .html, .http and .https.



Opera isn't perfect. Neither are sites on the web designed exclusively for one browser or another, but there are some out there. The only thing I can tell you about Flash is to make sure the plugin is installed directly into the Plugins folder in Opera's Program folder. I had Flash trouble with 5.12 in Win98 because the Flash plugin download defaulted to my Netscape plugin folder instead of Opera's. If you use both browsers, try copying the Netscape plugin over to the Opera plugin folder.



As for Media Player, using XP and the latest MP version with Opera hasn't been a problem, but 98 is another story. Opening Media Player files directly from the web in 98 has never worked for me, either in IE or Opera, possibly because of my slow connection. I always have to download them first. That said, there are sites designed with IE's foibles in mind that Opera just doesn't handle well. When I stumble across one I really need to see I just copy and paste the address into IE. Microsoft's own sites are amazingly lacking in web standards compliance (though MS won't admit they're trying to discourage competition from other browsers, of course) so I've learned not to frustrate myself by visiting Microsoft sites using Opera.



Opera 6 has a built-in pop-up killer, but you have to be careful with it. It disables ALL javascript pop-up windows, including the Preview window in this forum. You can set it in Quick Preferences under the File menu, and for normal browsing I usually have it set to open pop-ups in the background. 'Pop-ups' then show up on the Window bar -- but only as a tab that I can close or open myself whenever I get around to it. They're not in the way, in other words.



I don't remember a full review of Opera in the LangaList since version 5 (beta?) came out, and as I remember Fred was more irritated by the ads in the unregistered version than anything. He also mentioned instability as a problem with Opera on his setup, but I continue to have more trouble with IE stalling and\or crashing myself, though I use it a fraction of the time. Anyway, Opera has evolved a lot since those days.



I'm not sure either Fred or Chris has ever given Opera much of an in-depth test. When you write a newsletter for a mass audience, you have to devote most of your time to what the masses are using. If Microsoft was perfect, neither Fred nor Chris would have much to write about, and throwing another browser into the mix would just complicate their mission. That's my take anyway, though I would love to see Fred take Opera 6.0 out for a few weeks rather than just walk her around the block.



To be honest, one of the reasons I prefer Opera is that it's NOT Microsoft and it's NOT AOL-Netscape. Both of those behemoths have created a love-hate relationship with even their most intelligent users, turning rational people into obsessive seekers of shortcuts and fixes and workarounds that shouldn't even be necessary. Internet Explorer is not only integrated into Windows -- by now it's integrated into our psyche. I don't like that.



For me, despite a few imperfections I can live with, Opera is a simpler, faster and healthier way of getting done what I need to get done. It doesn't force itself into MY working processes. And I know enough about web design to see that most 'problems' with Opera are in reality caused by site designers catering to the flaws of the big boys. Opera may not be in the position that they could confuse and degrade web standards just to gain an advantage on their competition, but even if they could, they wouldn't. They're as infuriated that Microsoft and Netscape-AOL pull that crap as I am. That I do like.



That's why I do what I can to promote Opera.













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[timoch]

Bear, thanks for the comments.

I'm not a great fan of MS nor AOL, and would like to see the little guy get a bigger bite out of the cookie.  Don't get me wrong, I like Opera, it solved a serious problem that I had with my connection "falling asleep" when trying to bo open new links, and in that respect, v6 took a step backward in relationship to v5.12.  I emailed Opera to try to get a download for v5.12, but I just got the usual comp generated response.  

I'm just trying to weigh the pain vs advantage factors.

It wasn't Chris who wrote the critique of Opera in Lockernome that appeared about two weeks ago, but one of the other writers.   I don't save articles, so I can't give you the exact date.  

One report, Fred was glowing about Opera, but the tune changed about a month ago.  In all honesty, however, it may have been a letter from a reader.  When you become a geezer, live becomes a blurrrrrr.

Ron





 

[n/a]

I know what you mean, I'm beginning to geez a little myself.



I only subscribe to Chris' weekly digest now, so I guess I missed the Opera topic. I'll have to see if I can find it. Compatibility with XP was the main issue with 5.12, and if you're running 98 there's only minor benefits to upgrading to 6.0 anyway.



We do have a customized copy of 5.12 available on our Downloads page, if that helps. It's the full version including Java, and I wish I hadn't added our Members page to the Hotlist, but I haven't had a chance to re-do it yet.



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[timoch]

I found a copy of non java Opera 5.12 on Zd net and replaced Opera 6.0 with.  Browsing is now faster and there is a lot less stalling after I click on a link.  I don't know what the difference is between 6.0 and 5.12, but it sure shows up on my puter.