 |
OPERA
IS SWEET
MUSIC
OUT
OF CACOPHONY
B
Y B I L L B U R N S
Snake River Chapter
(Reprinted from the April 1999 issue of
The Sidebar, newsletter of the Snake River Chapter.)
|
|
I
bet more than 25% of the readers of this newsletter are still using Netscape
3.1 on their computers at home. Why? Well, because the forbidding size of
the newer Netscape and Internet Explorer versions makes downloading an onerous
chore. The current browser heavyweights weigh in at a minimum of 14 MB for
the installation files alone, not to mention the footprint they create on
your hard disk. So many of us slog along, missing all of the cool new Web
technologies, hitting sites that use CSS and JavaScript with abandon, while
ignoring the display limitations of older browsers. |
| Users
rave about Opera |
But a new voice is
beginning to emerge in the Web browser counterpoint. Opera Software has
struck a sweet note with its Web browser, Opera (currently at version 3.51).
Users are raving about Opera for a number of reasons. First, Opera is compact.
The executable installation is a mere 1,263 KB. This file may still take
a while to download on the Web, but it doesn’t come close to being
the bandwidth hogs that Netscape and Microsoft are. Second, Opera supports
JavaScript, CSS, and some plug-in technology like Flash animation and Shockwave.
Third, Opera is fast. While both Navigator and Internet Explorer strain
to pump Web data through their plaque-damaged, cholesterol-heavy arteries,
Opera zips along quickly, displaying data faster than either of its bloated
competitors. |
| Less
is more |
Although
Opera’s feature set is great, what I like best is its lack-of-feature
set. Opera software is still working on a complete mail client, and it supports
news, but it doesn’t include many of the other seldom-used features
that have become the anathema of the average Netscape or Internet Explorer
user. (Yeah, right, net conferencing. And me without my home T1 connection.)
Its simplicity is its strongest selling point.
|
| So
what's missing? |
Opera
still lacks in some areas. Although it’s reputed to have the best CSS
support out of all the browsers, it still can’t handle positioning
and some other style-sheet attributes. It also gets a little confused with
redirect commands from Flash sites, even though it supports Flash animation.
No doubt, the Java Script du jour at Netscape and Microsoft will occasionally
cause Opera to sing off-key. |
| Fast
research tool |
But
Opera typically performs without errors and as a Web research tool, Opera’s
speed more than makes up for its lack of support for proprietary flavors
of CSS and JavaScript. |
| Small
price to pay |
Unlike Netscape and Internet Explorer, Opera comes with a price tag, albeit
a small one. It costs $35 USD for a license. However, as the makers of Opera
note, "free" browsers may provide more of a disservice than a
service to users. You can decide for yourself whether Opera is worth its
price. You can download a 30-day trial version at http://www.operasoftware.com.
|
| Trademarks
|
- Microsoft
and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
- Netscape
and Netscape Navigator are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications
Corporation in the United States and other countries.
- Other
company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks
of others.
|
|
|
|
Summer 1999
Volume 2, # 3
|
|