4 ms·

Without the layout engine, what can they offer that Chromium doesn't?

robin_reala 13y ago
A better interface? I’m not saying it has one mind you, but they could offer it.
kristopolous 13y ago
Try it out. it has a nice feature-set that is mostly on par with the other browsers. here's a glory screen shot I just took: http://i.imgur.com/NpzUWWB.png http://i.imgur.com/NpzUWWB.png (I'm ok with people knowing my home directory path) In the mobile world they offer access to their compressing proxy built-in, similar to http://www.khelekore.org/rabbit/ http://www.khelekore.org/rabbit/ so that you can save your OTA bits. I haven't found any other mobile browser that allows you to push your web connection through a proxy like that.
- johnm1019 13y ago
  Like Chrome? https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/data-compression https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/data-compre...
  - mathias 13y ago
    Are you comparing a mobile browser with a desktop browser? Note that Opera’s “Off-Road mode” in present in Opera for Desktop as well; it’s not a mobile-only feature. Here’s a screenshot that shows how to enable it: http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png
- Pacabel 13y ago
  That screen shot shows the pre-Blink/Chromium version of Opera. The new versions are quite different, and are still lacking many of the features that older versions of Opera offered.
  - kristopolous 13y ago
    It is the current version for Linux. I can't speak for platforms I don't use :-(
    - Pacabel 13y ago
      That's perfectly understandable. The way they've defecated all over Linux users lately is quite disturbing. I only brought it up because users on Windows and OS X who download more recent versions will be getting a very different, and unfortunately quite inferior, experience.
      - oblio 13y ago
        Harsh words. They are rewriting everything, surely it's better to focus on 90% of their user-base first?
- tbassetto 13y ago
  You "glory" screenshot shows Opera 12, before the switch to Blink and the simplification on the UI. Most features shown are no longer available.
  - kristopolous 13y ago
    That's the current version for Linux. I can't speak for other OSes. Sorry.
- davidcollantes 13y ago
  I wouldn't call that a "glory" screenshot. It looks rather messy. :-)
  - kristopolous 13y ago
    Perhaps "bell and whistle" would be better? I was trying to illustrate many of the features.
- gilrain 13y ago
  Chrome for Android and iOS optionally does this, now. [1] [1] https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/data-compression https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/data-compre...
  - kristopolous 13y ago
    Exciting. I'll be sure to check that out!
  - mathias 13y ago
    Note that Opera’s “Off-Road mode” in present in Opera for Desktop as well, so it’s not a mobile-only feature. Here’s a screenshot that shows how to enable it: http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png
  - PakG1 13y ago
    The things I learn here... many thanks! :)
- mathias 13y ago
  > In the mobile world they offer access to their compressing proxy built-in Off-Road mode in present in Opera for Desktop as well. Here’s a screenshot that shows how to enable it: http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png
- JetSpiegel 13y ago
  I use Opera Mini on a Nokia dumbphone and the proxy is amazing.
mathias 13y ago
Some cool features I haven’t seen in Chromium yet: Lazy session loading: when restoring browser state from session, only the active tab will be loaded. Remaining tabs will be loaded when activated. Enable here: opera://flags/#lazy-session-loading Extended lazy session loading: changes mode of operation of lazy session loading so that all tabs are gradually loaded in the background. Enable here: opera://flags/#extended-lazy-session-loading I use my browser tabs as a to-do/to-read list – bad habit, I know. At any given time I have at least 40 tabs open. For people like me, features such as the above boost browser startup time significantly and help consume less memory.
- PakG1 13y ago
  Wow. This alone is reason for me to try it out. I also always have many tabs open.
- 0x45696e6172 13y ago
  Firefox fanboi here. I use my browser as a reading list as well. And I like it. I have had epic browser sessions with more than 500 tabs, until I discovered the Max Tabs extension, that let's you set a max limit. I use 100 now. The extension Bartab Heavy lets you load only current page on start and automatically unloads tabs after x amount time. Otherwise 500 tabs wouldn't be possible. Furthermore I use Tree Style Tab extension, that put them on the left side. I got used to this in Opera. Still miss the Ctrl + Tab (IIRC) feature, that only showed the list when you tabbed trough them akin to Windows' Alt-Tab window. The existence of these extensions sooths me a bit since it means I am not the only one with these bad habbits. Good to see Opera still attracks new users.
  - nieve 13y ago
    You haven't needed Bartab for on-demand tab loading for a while now, it's the "Don't load tabs until selected" setting on the Tabs page of preferences. Automatically unloading still requires an addon, though. I've got a serious tab habit as well (459 at the moment) and I'd recommend the Pano addon. It has tab/page title/url search that narrows the tab view to matches, drag & drop re-ordering (en masse), closing tabs directly from the list, tab group management, and visual indicators for whether a tab is loaded (nice when disconnected). It's nice when I'm cleaning out my old tabs to be able to put in ycombi, select all, and close them in one fell swoop. Heavy tab users probably want to turn on some of the optional features. [Edit] Pano can also hibernate tabs or groups, so if that's the last thing you're using Bartab for it can replace that as well. http://teramako.github.io/Pano/index.html http://teramako.github.io/Pano/index.html

A better interface? I’m not saying it has one mind you, but they could offer it.

Try it out. it has a nice feature-set that is mostly on par with the other browsers. here's a glory screen shot I just took: http://i.imgur.com/NpzUWWB.png http://i.imgur.com/NpzUWWB.png (I'm ok with people knowing my home directory path) In the mobile world they offer access to their compressing proxy built-in, similar to http://www.khelekore.org/rabbit/ http://www.khelekore.org/rabbit/ so that you can save your OTA bits. I haven't found any other mobile browser that allows you to push your web connection through a proxy like that.

johnm1019 13y ago
Like Chrome? https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/data-compression https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/data-compre...
- mathias 13y ago
  Are you comparing a mobile browser with a desktop browser? Note that Opera’s “Off-Road mode” in present in Opera for Desktop as well; it’s not a mobile-only feature. Here’s a screenshot that shows how to enable it: http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png
Pacabel 13y ago
That screen shot shows the pre-Blink/Chromium version of Opera. The new versions are quite different, and are still lacking many of the features that older versions of Opera offered.
- kristopolous 13y ago
  It is the current version for Linux. I can't speak for platforms I don't use :-(
  - Pacabel 13y ago
    That's perfectly understandable. The way they've defecated all over Linux users lately is quite disturbing. I only brought it up because users on Windows and OS X who download more recent versions will be getting a very different, and unfortunately quite inferior, experience.
    - oblio 13y ago
      Harsh words. They are rewriting everything, surely it's better to focus on 90% of their user-base first?
tbassetto 13y ago
You "glory" screenshot shows Opera 12, before the switch to Blink and the simplification on the UI. Most features shown are no longer available.
- kristopolous 13y ago
  That's the current version for Linux. I can't speak for other OSes. Sorry.
davidcollantes 13y ago
I wouldn't call that a "glory" screenshot. It looks rather messy. :-)
- kristopolous 13y ago
  Perhaps "bell and whistle" would be better? I was trying to illustrate many of the features.
gilrain 13y ago
Chrome for Android and iOS optionally does this, now. [1] [1] https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/data-compression https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/data-compre...
- kristopolous 13y ago
  Exciting. I'll be sure to check that out!
- mathias 13y ago
  Note that Opera’s “Off-Road mode” in present in Opera for Desktop as well, so it’s not a mobile-only feature. Here’s a screenshot that shows how to enable it: http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png
- PakG1 13y ago
  The things I learn here... many thanks! :)
mathias 13y ago
> In the mobile world they offer access to their compressing proxy built-in Off-Road mode in present in Opera for Desktop as well. Here’s a screenshot that shows how to enable it: http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png http://i.imgur.com/rvGkQrI.png
JetSpiegel 13y ago
I use Opera Mini on a Nokia dumbphone and the proxy is amazing.

mathias 13y ago

Some cool features I haven’t seen in Chromium yet: Lazy session loading: when restoring browser state from session, only the active tab will be loaded. Remaining tabs will be loaded when activated. Enable here: opera://flags/#lazy-session-loading Extended lazy session loading: changes mode of operation of lazy session loading so that all tabs are gradually loaded in the background. Enable here: opera://flags/#extended-lazy-session-loading I use my browser tabs as a to-do/to-read list – bad habit, I know. At any given time I have at least 40 tabs open. For people like me, features such as the above boost browser startup time significantly and help consume less memory.

PakG1 13y ago
Wow. This alone is reason for me to try it out. I also always have many tabs open.
0x45696e6172 13y ago
Firefox fanboi here. I use my browser as a reading list as well. And I like it. I have had epic browser sessions with more than 500 tabs, until I discovered the Max Tabs extension, that let's you set a max limit. I use 100 now. The extension Bartab Heavy lets you load only current page on start and automatically unloads tabs after x amount time. Otherwise 500 tabs wouldn't be possible. Furthermore I use Tree Style Tab extension, that put them on the left side. I got used to this in Opera. Still miss the Ctrl + Tab (IIRC) feature, that only showed the list when you tabbed trough them akin to Windows' Alt-Tab window. The existence of these extensions sooths me a bit since it means I am not the only one with these bad habbits. Good to see Opera still attracks new users.
- nieve 13y ago
  You haven't needed Bartab for on-demand tab loading for a while now, it's the "Don't load tabs until selected" setting on the Tabs page of preferences. Automatically unloading still requires an addon, though. I've got a serious tab habit as well (459 at the moment) and I'd recommend the Pano addon. It has tab/page title/url search that narrows the tab view to matches, drag & drop re-ordering (en masse), closing tabs directly from the list, tab group management, and visual indicators for whether a tab is loaded (nice when disconnected). It's nice when I'm cleaning out my old tabs to be able to put in ycombi, select all, and close them in one fell swoop. Heavy tab users probably want to turn on some of the optional features. [Edit] Pano can also hibernate tabs or groups, so if that's the last thing you're using Bartab for it can replace that as well. http://teramako.github.io/Pano/index.html http://teramako.github.io/Pano/index.html