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Reflections from an Opera user


Andrewski
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(This is modified from a post I made in Mozillazine.org forums).

 

I have been a Linux user for about 6 months and an Opera user for about a year, when I was still using Windows. Of course, I think we can all agree that IE is a waste of time. The list of reasons is a mile long and I've already wasted too many words on it considering the audience. However, when it comes to Mozilla v. Opera, the computer user world is pretty torn. Of course, there are opinions for each user sitting either in the Mozilla or the Opera camp, but both use many of the same arguments: better speed, more features, standards compliant.

 

Truth be told, my own opinion would tend to lean towards Opera. It's lean and mean, and out of the box, it comes with more features I use. Even with the installation of many add-ons, I still find using Mozilla to be difficult and hard to configure. Of course, part of this could be because I've gotten used to some Opera features that are idiosyncratic, but the program is indeed slick. That much, I hope, could be granted by the present company.

 

However, I've reached a point where the roads part. I've considered buying Opera, not only for the sheer fact of removing the ad banner, but also to support a company making a good program and supporting open web standards. However, I've found that their license is pretty narrow, something I'm not really keen on supporting. Despite the benefits, the nuanced license turns me off to using it. I mean, that's one of the reasons I switched to Linux in the first place! So... that leaves Mozilla, a program I haven't necessarily spent enough time using, but which doesn't immediately satisfy the way Opera did when I first switched from IE.

 

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, though I'm really not interested in hearing anyone bash Opera or Mozilla; I'm more interested in constructive criticism from either side, something I have come to expect from this respectful group. ;)

 

Thanks,

Andrew

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Well I've been an opera user and off and on a Mozilla user for about two years. Mozilla is good for somethings but I prefer Opera's quickness and easy configurability. When I have to use Mozilla I just think it's so slow and I had a hard time getting java to work for it. Comparing features for features to me Opera wins hands down. And I have purchased a license for it. But I wouldn't do without Mozilla either. Some pages don't render properly in Opera and I have to use Moz. Anyway, JMO. :)

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I haven't used Opera in linux at all yet, but I have used Mozilla in both doze and nix quite a bit. One thing I notice about Mozilla in doze is if you open some tabs, minimize the window and come back a while later it takes quite a while to redraw the screen. Like, you pull it up, and 30 seconds later you actually see the page again.

 

In doze I actually opted for IE over Opera, and honestly right now I forget exactly why. At first it was the sheer fact that I knew all shortcuts in IE and not Opera, but I believe I overcame that, but just didn't like the feel of Opera as much.

 

Ok, maybe that didn't help much, but I've been pretty happy with mozilla for the most part.

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Hmmm.

It kinda sucks. I see opera's point BUT its not as much a question of cost but principle as you say.

 

The license seems vague anyway. As someone points out what if you use it from a remote login ??

More to the point if you had a few PC's you might install it on an NFS drive and then start a single copy at a time.

 

The way its written it would make sense to install it on a server and have 10 concurrent users BUT not install it individually on each machine. Or if you want a Win version and a Linux version it seems perfectly acceptable to run the same one on a virtual machine concurrently BUT not on a sperate win machine and Linux machine. I guess dual boot etc...

 

Ive been testing the adware version and its really sweet, if it wasn't for uthe inconveneience of buying it (as opposed to cost) I'd have already bought it BUT now Im glad I didn't. Im not saying I won't, just I need to think more.

 

 

Even if they offered a personal license option (to install on as many PC's as you want but only for a single user) etc. Im sure its defeatable but thats not the point.

I don't have illegal software since moving 100% to linux and i have no intention of starting again....

This is just begging me to try it and then need Opera Mail and ....

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i have tried (& still use) both Moz & Opera in Windows & Linux (MDK). my observations are thus.........

 

Mozilla beats MSIE (using Windows) hands down. (IMHO) installation is a breeze, plugins are picked up automatically, it's faster, & far more secure. Opera in Windows is also an easy install, but it's a bit slower than both Moz & MSIE, timing load times in identical web sites. (at least for me it is)

 

Mozilla in Linux (MDK) has issues that i don't like that makes Opera far superior. (again, IMHO) Moz in 'nix is slow as hell for me. (i'm talking 10 or more seconds slower loading some identical graphics intensive web sites) also, getting plugins (Java in particular) to work with Moz can be a frustrating, hair pulling experience. (just search the forums for that topic......there's many). Opera, on the other hand, was a breeze to install in 'nix, picked up most of my plugins automatically, & the ones it didn't were just a matter of telling it where to find them. it's far more configurable, & has many more options than Moz.

 

so, in short, Opera gets a major nod over Mozilla in Linux from me. i still use Moz on rare ocassions (like if i'm testing something on different browsers or trying to help somebody with something Moz related) but Opera is what i use 95% of the time now.

 

duh! i didn't really offer any opinion on your question about the Opera license, huh? well, i wouldn't worry too much about it. i mean, it's a pretty straight forward licensing agreement. it's not like they're telling that you agree to let Opera gather personal info & relay it to other sources, or anything nefarious. as for multiple licenses........ummm......i'll keep my opinions to myself about paying for multiple licenses. but...... :devil:

Chris

Edited by chris z
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I don't have illegal software since moving 100% to linux and i have no intention of starting again....

My sentiments exactly, and that's what makes this frustrating. I just got home from a 3-month (wonderful!) hiatus in Austria and while I was there, I had access to a Windows computer. I installed Firebird on it and was quite pleased. (I had only installed the big and slow Mozilla suite when first posting here.) Though the process of downloading and configuring all those plug-ins was a time-consuming pain, I got its functionality up and was really pleased with it. Now I have only to try it on Mandrake....

 

My only complaint with Firebird was the cookie manager. Opera gives you so much more real-time flexibility for accepting/refusing cookies.

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I haven't given Mozilla Firebird a decent try so I can't really say what's best, but I just love Opera, use it in "both worlds". The banner-ads don't bother me as I have enough bandwith and when I surf for fun, I mostly use "fullscreen" (F11) and there is no banner there :P

 

And the keyboard-shortcuts... oh, I love those. And with version 7.23 I can finally use my internet-banks without booting up windows and IE!

 

And of course, since I'm Norwegian I almost have an obligation to use Opera :deal:

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For some reason, after discovering Mozilla Firebird, I rarely use Opera anymore.

 

Although Opera is definitely better on features and speed, Firebird has got a lot of details just right.

 

I would put them on par, but Firebird still has a few quirks, so actually I think overall Opera is the better browsers.

 

Ironically, the theme I have in firebird, called 'Breeze', basically a very simple low-contrast skin, is what is keeping me coming back to Firebird. I couldn't find a comparable one for Opera. Strange how such little things can have so great an impact.

 

I can still say though, that supporting Opera would be a good step. I did quite a lot of browsing on the Opera Forums, I saw H. Moen at a congress on patents in Brussels and the feeling I have about them is a very positive one.

 

Likewise, I am still doubting on whether to get a license, but I think I will, although I think it will be a license for Linux only. After all, somebody has to prove that Linux users aren't the freeloaders some people think they are. And of course, the product itself is worth it.

 

Just a tip: from time to time they've got these promotions running. You could wait for

them and get Opera at a better price. Then it would be a no-brainer, no ;) ?

 

Darkelve

Edited by Darkelve
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Darkelve...........

 

if you want some cool Opera skins, go here........

 

http://my.opera.com/customize/skins/

 

actually, i don't know if it's the same skin you have for Firebird, but Opera has 6 skins in the Breeze theme.

 

check 'em out below..........

 

Breeze skins for Opera

 

i'm currently using Breeze Simplified. very minimalistic, no clutter, & it leaves lot's of screen space for your viewing pleasure.

 

Chris

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Thanks for the link. I tried all of them, but it's just not the same.

 

 

Here's a screenshot of Firebird running on my windoze box.

 

This is so easy to my eyes. The tabs, menus, etc. all blend in so nicely with the background that they do not distract me when I'm surfing the web...

 

Is there any way this skin could be used in Opera as well?

post-10-1070723898.gif

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Darkelve...........

 

AFAIK, Opera skins are Opera specific, & vice versa with Moz & Firebird. so, no, you couldn't use a Firebird skin on Opera.

 

Chris

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  • 11 months later...

I never could understand why people say Opera is faster than Mozilla or Firefox. For me, it is at least 25% slower. Also, fonts, are ugly and jaggedy in Opera, but not in Firefox. I keep trying to like Opera and I'll use it for a space of about two days before giving up and going back to Firefox.

 

Skins are typically prettier in Opera, I'll give you that. And with a little playing around, the toolbars are way more easily configured in Opera.

 

I did buy a license for Opera last year, but don't really like their license and would much prefer to support GPL and Open Source.

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I have used Opera during the week for this last year, and firefox on the weekends.

 

I prefer firefox. I found that Opera rendered pages very differently to what I was used to.

 

For example:

 

http://aslan.no-ip.com/~iphitus/screenshots/opera1.png

 

whereas in firefox:

 

http://aslan.no-ip.com/~iphitus/screenshots/ff1.png

 

Most noticable is the fonts, opera's are *much* smaller and *much* more strongly anti-aliased. Excepting the banner advertisement which doesnt appear cause i hacnt got flash installed, you can also see other minor page quirks. Firefox is also generally a lot faster, and handles multiple tabs much better and with greater gusto than opera. It's also much lighter. Most of the opera themes I tried, tended to have small quirks, inconsistencys or problems which I didnt like ( I have about 30-40 installed at the moment, yet I still use default :P )

 

You might argue that deviantart doesnt follow standards - it does - go validate it, only two or three minor errors, acceptable for such a monster sized site.

 

Opera is a great browser but imho, it's not worth the price, whereas you can get a generally faster browser with more features - if you include extensions, which was part of the firefox design - for free.

 

iphitus

 

ps: I was using opera to check osnews because it was on top of my stack of windows, you might find the advertisement on the page humerous:

 

http://aslan.no-ip.com/~iphitus/screenshots/opera2.png

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Prior to using FireFox, (I now use FireFox-1.0) I always used Galeon and that was because of the fact that if the browser crashed, when you restarted it, it would relink back up to all the webpages you had opened. That saved a lot of time and effort. I now don't know what a browser crash is.

I am thoroughly delighted with FireFox and have managed to get 3 other computer users to use it as well and they now have abandoned IE for good.

 

Can anyone tell me what advantages does Mozilla have that so many are still using it in preference to FireFox ???

 

Cheers. John.

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