Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner doesn’t seem to concerned with the newly launched Google Chrome browser. In fact he finds it kind of flattering that Google is copying many of Opera’s innovative features, such as Speed Dial.
The media rounds
Opera boss: Imitation is flattering - The Register
Google Chrome ‘borrows’ from Opera browser - PC Advisor
Opera Watch, an Opera browser blog, is run by Daniel Goldman, who used to work for Opera Software as a Technical Evangelist.
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Daniel Goldman: daniel@operawatch.com.
Note: I encourage you to copy and translate my blog posts to your non-English blog. Do you have an Opera blog (with more than 90% of the content Opera-related)? Let me know and I'll add it to the list above.
Q: What is Opera?
A: Opera is one of the most powerful Web browsers around. A Web browser is the program that allows you to view Web pages. Opera is well known for innovation for PC browsers and bringing the full web to mobile phones and devices.
Q: Is Opera free?
A: Absolutely free.
Q: Why should I download a browser? Doesn't my computer already come with one for free?
A: It's about getting more out of the time you spend on the internet. Opera is designed to be much faster than these browsers and gives you powerful features that the default browser lacks. Default browsers like Internet Explorer are also more likely to be subjected to dangerous software such as viruses and spyware.
Q: Will Opera keep me safe from fraudulent websites and malicious hackers?
A: According to Secunia, a respected firm that tracks security in browsers, Opera has the best reputation and track record when it comes to browser security. Keeping our users safe from security vulnerabilities, fraudulent websites, and malicious hackers is a top priority for Opera. Opera is maintained by hundreds of engineers, developers and security experts who are constantly looking to make the browser even safer.
Q: Doesn't Opera copy all of their features from other browsers?
A: Absolutely not. In fact, many of the features that are popular in other browsers today were invented and pioneered by Opera a long time ago. Opera invented the precursor to tabs (in 1994), Page Zoom (1994), was the first browser to block pop-up ads (2000), first to add a Search field in the browser toolbar (2000), Sessions (1996), deleting private data (2000), Mouse Gestures (2000), User JavaScript (2005), BitTorrent support (2005), Widgets (2006), Speed Dial (2007), and much more.
Q: Does Opera support extensions, such as those found in Firefox?
A: Much of the functionality provided through Firefox extensions is already built directly into Opera, so you don't have to download additional extensions in Opera. In addition, Opera is highly customizable and supports all standard plug-ins.
Q: Can I also use Opera on my mobile phone?
A: Yes. And your Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS or almost any connected device and mobile phones. Opera Mobile oftens comes preinstalled from the manufacturers, but if it doesn't you can install Opera Mini which runs on nearly all phones.
Q: This all sounds great, so how do I download Opera?
A: -- Opera on your computer
-- Opera Mini on your phone
-- Opera Mobile on your phone
-- or learn more about Opera at www.opera.com
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Jon has also posted a blog about it on the Choose Opera blog.
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I like it how neither Opera or Mozilla will admit they’re afraid of Chrome in any way, while both are probably shitting their pants. At least a little.
By the way, typo: you meant “too concerned”.
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And why should Opera be afraid?
Opera has already lost to IE, Firefox, Safari, etc. in marketshare.
The same small group that prefer Opera over all of them (like me) still prefer Opera over Chrome. To me Chrome is almost featureless.
However, add some extensions support to Chrome, fix the ****** Chrome EULA, and watch both FF and IE marketshare shrink.
I hope that this Chrome browser makes that IE 6 finally reaches 0% of marketshare U_U
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What about the people who didn’t like any of the available browsers for random reasons, and found Opera to be the “least bad” one? So they were only mildly satisfied with Opera, and would move to anything they consider better.
I doubt 0% of the Opera users will move to Chrome. Not all Opera users are Opera fanboys.
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Google Chrome is very fast, but with firefox i can have a lot of extensions… so… i keep my Fierfox.
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I see everyone talking about how they will or won’t switch to Chrome… come on… it’s a 0.2 version! It will take Google awhile before it’s ready for primetime. Also, Chrome doesn’t spell the end to security vulnerabilities - US-CERT has already issued a warning against it for automatically downloading files.
As far as Opera being afraid, I doubt it. While Opera has a tiny market share (roughly 1%) it’s been growing slowly, and well enough that Opera is a good stable company. Opera users use it for (I think) the integration of features. Sure, it’s fast, and that’s great, but nothing else gives me e-mail, news feeds, mouse gestures, easy customization, and everything else out of the box. Yeah, you can add all that to Firefox, but you have to download a dozen extensions to get what I use everyday. The same thing will apply to Chrome, as it does to Safari and IE. None of them do what I use Opera for.
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This time I selected the latest version of Opera because Mozilla was not downloading on my computer. To my surprise Opera had become a far superior browser than I could have ever imagined. Initially it had lots of problems, they are not there anymore. Just because Google has lauched Chrome does not mean Opera, Mozilla will disappear - there will always be someone who will make a much better browser. Chrome despite the hype is a big disappointment - disappointment is too mild a word - it is a major headache, one can’t tell if it is a browser or something else.
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Jeddy: I can’t see how Chrome is a disappointment or a major headache, or how you can confuse it with something else other than a browser… Please elaborate.
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Wow, I can’t find the headache in Chrome at all. It’s fast, minimalist with huge page real-estate, it’s intuative and while the big draw with Opera for me was the inline email client Chrome with gmail and G-reader makes email and feed reading a breeze. I’m sure widgets and customization will be added but right now, I am not missing them one bit.
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@Jeddy:
Chrome is not disappointment, version 0.2 is not final. It is very stable for the first public beta. Chrome has took the best advanced features from different browsers and managed to implement them in a simple and intuitive interface. Interface is minimalistic eye candy that doesn’t take space from the actual web page. I don’t know about its web loading speed and I don’t care because it is about milliseconds, only computer can notice the difference, but I can tell that Chromes startup speed is instant! I’m already impressed with Chrome and I will be thrilled when final version comes out!
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I like Chrome! I only installed Opera because a friend suggested “it is the fastest browser available” which it isn’t! Firefox 3 is still the best of all the browsers, and I have used ALL of them! But so what about a new kid on the block. They will have their teething troubles like everyone else, so give them a chance. It’s innovative and therein lies the reason. The only thing I don’t like about Google Chrome is that it is exclusive to XP and Vista, I cannot run it on Windows 2000 SP4 which is the machine on which I write this. Give Google a chance and stop griping about it!
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lp2cd: haha, I don’t get it… You and others around (in other articles) say Opera isn’t the best, that Chrome or Firefox are better, yet your user agent suggests you posted using Opera.
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I think SAFARI 4 Developer Edition Is The Fastest Browser Available Today ! No One Can Match its Squirrelfish Engine And OfCourse Opensource Webkit. Anyways I am Still Biggg Fan Of Opera Due To Opera Mini & Opera Mobile.
P.S. I am Using Google Chrome To Write This comment On My Xp, But Chrome Is Identified Here as safari with mac OS ! ! !
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@Stifu: Why are you so busy posting in an Opera blog if you neither use nor like it?
@ANWAR SHAIKH: The latest Mozilla JS engine beats everything else AFAIK.
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I am using Chrome right know and I love it. It is fast, and doesn’t freeze when I have 20 tabs open, like in Firefox and Opera. The interface is incredible simple to use and very effective.
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tzzz: I use Opera for web development testing, and it’s not that I don’t like it, but it’s just not my favorite. Being interested in browsers and web development in general, I don’t think it’s so weird that I’m on an Opera site. Look around, not all visitors are Opera users.
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Stifu: FYI, I was using Opera on my desktop Windows 2000 machine because it was open at the time and I was working on that machine. Now I am replying using Google Chrome on Vista Business 32. Since this is subjective, everyone’s opinion and preferences WILL differ because everyone has their own favourite and all machines differ in processing capabilities and speed. We will never arrive at a consensus where everyone agrees. Chacin a sin gout!
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using Safari 525.13 on Mac OS X
Really? Perhaps there is something wrong with the coding of the server that sees Google Chrome as Safari on a Mac. It certainly is not that at all. It is Google Chrome on Vista Business 32.
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I have Firefox and Opera both very good, although I have had some freezing issues with 9.50 on Windows 2000 sp4. The sad thing about Chrome is that unlike Opera and FF they do not support Win2k. I can’t see why that’s so difficult when the others do (excluding MS).
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well I doubt Opera is concerned with the advent of Chrome, Opera has kept its own niche market for 14 years, and nothing can really change that much.
however it’s really wrong to say Chrome is copying Opera’s Speed Dial, guess Jon von Tetzchner hasn’t really tried Chrome himself. Chrome’s New Tab Page is more like Opera’s top 10 page in Start Bar than Speed Dial. Chrome’s New Tab Page and Opera’s Speed Dial are really more different than the difference between History and Bookmark, they are completely different things, except the thumbnails.
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I’m not sure why my comment has been awaiting moderation for 5 days while people could keep replying (same thing happened in another article…), so I’ll repost it just in case:
“tzzz: I use Opera for web development testing, and it’s not that I don’t like it, but it’s just not my favorite. Being interested in browsers and web development in general, I don’t think it’s so weird that I’m on an Opera site. Look around, not all visitors are Opera users.”
And Ian, you mean “Chacun ses goûts”. :p
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I think that chrome could be bad news for Firefox and even more so for Opera for one simple reason. Funding. If Google decides to stop paying Opera to use Google as the default search engine it’s quite likely that Opera would have to revert to being paid for. How many people will continue to use it under those circumstances? With a market share of < 1% Opera cannot afford to lose users. Firefox would e hit as well, but, being open source work would continue, perhaps not as rapidly and it would remain free.
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I have a constant problem with Chrome freezing up. Not just one tab…the entire thing.
Play lists and videos on sites such as Gaia Online or MySpace show up funny or in a completely different place than they should be.
Other than that…Chrome poses no problems to me, though I have heard complaints of Chrome users now only being able to use Google search while on Chrome, not on Firefox or IE.
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there are so many advantages and features with Chrome, such as it’s speed, for example; now if only they would take care it’s quirky cookie management…
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Opera is a niche product focused to a different user than Chrome. It has features hard to learn with poor documentation for regular consumers that will not be found in IE, FF, Safari nor Chrome in a long time, currently it is not mass market oriented as the others.
It is true that Opera receives good money from Google, but the substantial income comes from other products, so, losing its support would hurt but would not be a big deal. I see Opera desktop as a promotional tool, where Opera AG invests instead of big adds.
Who really have problems is Firefox because belongs to the same Church than Chrome, it is as well focused to the mass marked, it has the same stupid friendly type of interface, its revenue depends of Google and even has the same programmers…
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Am I the only one in the universe who uses multiple browsers? Chrome has a speedy start, but I have problems with some pages (esp. java). So chrome is for quick access.
Opera is for running longer events. It boots slower, but I use the bookmark-sync to keep what I want on all my different work stations. I’m also addicted to the speed dial and the mouse gestures. Yes they all exist on firefox as plugin, but those plugins makes my firefox 3 crash every bleepin second.
My only use of firfox now, is on my mac where I havent found out how to set opera as standard, so firefox pops open every time i click a link in another program.
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No, Rolf, you are not. I use Chrome, Firefox, SeaMonkey, Safari, IE7, Netscape, Opera, um…. have to think now the list is almost endless, everyone trying to outdo everyone else by saying their browser is better than xyz’s. I do enjoy Google Chrome but I cannot use it for my banking transactions yet because the banks are not set up for it yet, but for most other things it’s fine. Firefox 3 is still the fastest that I know of. IE7 is full of its usual **** so I rarely use that, prefer the IE plug-in for Firefox when accessing Microsoft’s websites. So stick to the browser you like most and don’t feel lonely any longer about being the only one in the universe who uses multiple browsers. You are not alone.
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i have had ie, mozilla, safari, opera and google chrome. OPERA WAS BY FAR THE BEST!!!! chrome was kinda tied with safari for 3rd place , mozilla was 2nd and ie was last.! mozilla was good untill its started to give me alot of prpblems.! and i mean alot. once firefox crashed i tried all the other ones, after 2 weeks i choose opera!!! it is a lot faster, has a good pop up blocker, good saftey features, and it was very customizable, such as widgets, email management, tabs, speed dail, and password manegement and security!!! its not that the others werent good it was just that opera was WAY BETTER!!!! so if ur still looking for an internet browswer or u have mozilla, dump that **** and choose opera!!!! its great!!
-randy