Opera Software in Kjeller, Norway has made Opera as a small whose only aim is to support accepted Internet standards, like HTML and JavaScript. It does not support proprietary ideas and, like Microsoft's Active Channels and Netscape's document.layers extension to JavaScript. By focusing on standards, not frills, Opera Software hopes to make its browser an alternative for surfers disenchanted by the bloat of Communicator and Internet Explorer. 

Currently, Opera is only available for Windows (both 16-bit and 32-bit versions), though ports are underway to OS/2, Macintosh, Linux, BeOS, Amiga and other operating systems as a part of Opera Software's Project Magic. Judging from Opera's notes on BeOS, these ports will take advantage of each of the destination OS's system services, like strong interapplication communication on Be, scripting support on the Macintosh and the inline Java virtual machine on OS/2 and the Macintosh. 

According to Opera's documentation on Opera Software's web site, Opera does not use a winsock.dll file to operate. I am curious as to how it does this, and if that only means for launching the program (one can use a web browser as an image viewer, for example) or for networking. 

Since Opera is based on its own code and not on older browsers, like Mosaic, it sings quickly across the web. It loads Netscape's home page in about half the time of Internet Explorer and Netscape's own Communicator, and experiences a similar speed bump going to Microsoft's corporate page. Opera caused an invalid page fault both times I tried to have it go to Microsoft's other home page, while the other two browsers could handle it. While Opera Software touts its browser's stability, it is no more or less stable than Netscape Communicator 4, as witnessed by its crashes on pages with proprietary content. Opera does allow you to change some browser parameters on startup after it crashes, but I found that those changes do little. I suspect that Opera Software performed its comparisons to the version 3 browsers, which were notoriously unstable. I would not call Opera unstable, but I would not call it the rock-solid application that its authors claim it is. 

Opera's support for current standards is much like its stability: good, but not as good as its creators claim. Opera fully supports HTML 2.0 and most of HTML 3.2, but the current version of HTML is 4.0, though it does support some of those extensions also, notably frames. Opera does work on most pages, though sometimes it will display a table (HTML 3.2 addition) or a frame (HTML 4.0 addition) oddly. Occasionally, you will find a table element moved over several pixels or a frame will show up on the top half of the page when Communicator and Internet Explorer will place it on the right side. It does recognize JavaScript, probably version 1.1 as it recognizes the document.images property, even with a client-side image map (though its support for this property with an image map is flaky, causing irritating redraws when I move my mouse over the image to change it (onMouseOver event)). It lacks support for Cascading Style Sheets and Java, though Opera Software is working on support for these. Again, ports to OS/2 and the Macintosh would benefit from those Oses inline Java virtual machines. 

The feature for which I have the most mixed feelings is the interface. It does have a toolbar like other browsers do, but it uses only icons, not labels, in its toolbar, unlike good Windows toolbars, and some of its functions are at the bottom of the browser window, like the page address, the "Stop" button and the "Show Images" button. By default, the Hot List (the Bookmarks of the Opera) appear at the side of the window. It took me some time to find the setting to hide them, as it is not in a preferences pane. I also cannot fathom why Opera Software did not allow the user to switch this sidebar from Hot List to History. The Hot List sidebar is much like the Microsoft Explorer Bar, and could have more uses than it currently has. 

While this is an aesthetic, I do not find the toolbar to be comely. Instead, I prefer the three-dimensional look of Netscape Communicator. 

Opera's windows either tile or occupy the full screen. This inhibits the user from placing windows on the screen as he needs them. This also makes finding windows hard, since Opera places windows on top of each other. The preferences do allow you to specify the font for <H#> tags, something neither Communicator nor Internet Explorer allow. It is easy to configure the browser, and there are many preference settings. Jumping from pane-to-pane is irritating, much like Netscape 2/3; it would be easier to configure a single preference pane with multiple tabs. The most bizarre settings are the home address and telephone number settings, though Opera may use these during registration. 

Mail and news in Opera are a capella, not an orchestra, but do not star slick, simple interfaces. Rather, mail, news and history all appear in a single window as a list that features no dividing lines or tables. However, like the rest of the program, both mail and news are fast. Opera Software plans to spin off the mail and news programs, which I welcome so I would not use or download its mail and news programs. 

The big gripe many people will have with Opera, however, is the cost. Opera, unlike Communicator and Internet Explorer, is not free, as Opera Software is selling a browser, rather than Netscape's and Microsoft's server software (for which they have optimized their browsers). Opera costs $35, and will not function other than to register after one month of use (though, if you do not use Opera on a particular day, the browser will not count that day against you). However, if speed is important, the money one spends on Opera is cost effective than money spent on an ISDN line. 

The cost also hampers Opera's ability to gain share in the browser. While Opera has serious advantages over Communicator and Internet Explorer in both speed and system resources (the archive of Opera is but a megabyte), some people will balk at the cost. Most people do not care to register shareware, and since Opera becomes mostly inoperable after a 30-day trial, most people will not use Opera. 

One must also wonder if the computer industry will allow its web browser productions to feature three tenors. While Communicator and Internet Explorer are needlessly bloated products, most users have no problem with this. Some users actually demand a vendor include a full-featured mail client with its web browser, though the user only uses the most basic of mail functions. This demand is largely a function of advertising, something Opera Software cannot afford. 

Opera is a nice browser, fast and efficient. While it does lack compliance with some current standards, Opera Software is working to comply with these standards. If Opera succeeds in becoming a major browser, surfers will come to expect speed and will no longer refer to the World Wide Web the "World Wide Wait." If Opera only forces Microsoft and Netscape to make their browsers faster and less bloated, then surfers will also win. 
iBiz

Charlie Saeger really should get an offline life, but can’t imagine what he’d do with it.  He can be reached at MinnNet Technical Support csaeger@minn.net 612/944-8660 ext. 108