Some time ago, Opera was a commonly used internet browser that succeeded in making all its users needs a reality in seconds. But when the company changed direction and used a Google-based tech, some of the features that made Opera so classy not only in theatres but also in internet browsing, disappeared. The smart shortcuts and ingenious tricks weren’t able to conquer the market anymore, so Opera had rest its case.
For those who loved the old interface and the way everything was so well put together, the ex-CEO of Opera, Jon von Tetzchner, founded a new company that is now launching a browser named Vivaldi, especially designed to be at the highest standards of its most demanding possible users. The Speed Dial page (shortcuts to the pages you like) is similar to the one Opera had, but this is the only thing that reminds the users to the old interface. The novelty is brought by customizable keyboard shortcuts, tab stacks, and last but not least, page-specific notes. The navigation bar has the charm of changing colors in order to match the theme of the site that is being visited.
“Opera was built around a community and a close connection with its users. I felt like that connection had been severed. […] We are making a browser for our friends. Vivaldi is for all those people who want more from their browsers.”
At present, the version of the new browser Vivaldi, successor of Opera, is only available as a technical preview. Linux, Windows and Mac are able to operate on it and test it from all points of view. Unfortunately, the percentage of Opera lovers is small, 1.4% , so Vivaldi will have to fight a long battle, taking into consideration the success and versatility that Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox have as Internet browsers.
The time that the team has spent on working for the Vivaldi browser is of a year and a half and a lot of its features are still missing. Mr. von Tetzchner stated that Vivaldi is addressed to the kind of user that spends a lot of time online and that works with many tabs opened at a time, while working efficiently with a large amount of content. Chromium is the foundation of the Vivaldi browser, as far as the engine is concerned, even if the CEO of the company has thought of using Mozilla’s or WebKit’s engine.
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