Opera is a multi-platform
web browser
A web browser is application software for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used on ...
developed by its namesake company
Opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...
.
The browser is based on
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal.
Chromium metal is valued for its high corrosion resistance and h ...
, but distinguishes itself from other Chromium-based browsers (
Chrome
Chrome may refer to:
Materials
* Chrome plating, a process of surfacing with chromium
* Chrome alum, a chemical used in mordanting and photographic film
Computing
* Google Chrome, a web browser developed by Google
** ChromeOS, a Google Chrome- ...
,
Edge, etc.) through its
user interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...
and
other features.
Opera was initially released on 10 April 1995, making it one of the oldest desktop web browsers still actively developed. It was
commercial software
Commercial software, or seldom payware, is a computer software that is produced for sale or that serves commercial purposes. Commercial software can be proprietary software or free and open-source software.
Background and challenge
While s ...
for its first ten years and had its own proprietary layout engine,
Presto
Presto may refer to:
Computing
* Presto (browser engine), an engine previously used in the Opera web browser
* Presto (operating system), a Linux-based OS by Xandros
* Presto (SQL query engine), a distributed query engine
* Presto (animation s ...
. In 2013, it switched from the Presto engine to Chromium.
Opera is available on
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
,
macOS
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. Within the market of ...
,
Linux
Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which i ...
,
Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
, and
iOS (Safari WebKit engine). There are also mobile versions called
Opera Mobile
Opera Mobile is a mobile web browser for smartphones, tablets and PDAs developed by Opera.
History
The first devices to run a mobile edition of Opera were the Psion Series 5, Psion Series 5mx, Psion Series 7, and then Psion netBook. They ...
and
Opera Mini. Opera users also have access to Opera News, a news app based on an AI platform.
The company released a gaming-oriented version of the browser, Opera GX, in 2019, and a blockchain-focused Opera Crypto Browser into public beta in January 2022.
History
In 1994,
Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner and
Geir Ivarsøy started developing the Opera web browser while working at
Telenor, a
Norwegian telecommunications company.
In 1995, they founded
Opera Software AS
Opera is a Norwegian multinational technology company and subsidiary of Kunlun that specializes in web browser development, fintech, as well as services such as Opera News and YoYo Games. The company's total user base, including users of its d ...
. Opera was initially released on 10 April 1995, and then it was released publicly in 1996 with version 2.10,
which ran on
Microsoft Windows 95.
Development for mobile device platforms started in 1998.
Opera 4.0, released in 2000,
included a new cross-platform core that facilitated the creation of editions of Opera for multiple
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common daemon (computing), services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems scheduler (computing), schedule tasks for ef ...
s and platforms.
To this point, Opera was
trialware and had to be purchased after the trial period. With version 5.0, released in 2000, Opera became
ad-sponsored, displaying ads to users who had not paid for it. Subsequent versions have given users the choice of seeing
banner ads or targeted text ads from
Google
Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
.
With version 8.5, released in 2005, the ads were completely removed, and the browser's primary financial support came through revenue from Google (by contract, Opera's default
search engine).
Among new features introduced in version 9.1, released in 2006, was fraud protection using technology from
GeoTrust, a
digital certificate
In cryptography, a public key certificate, also known as a digital certificate or identity certificate, is an electronic document used to prove the validity of a public key. The certificate includes information about the key, information about th ...
provider, and
PhishTank, an organization that tracks known
phishing web sites. This feature was further expanded in version 9.5, when GeoTrust was replaced with
Netcraft
Netcraft is an Internet services company based in Bath, Somerset, England. The company provides cybercrime disruption services across a range of industries.
History
Netcraft was founded by Mike Prettejohn. The company provides web server and ...
, and malware protection from Haute Secure was added.
In 2006, Opera Software ASA was released as well as
Internet Channel and
Nintendo DS Browser
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
for Nintendo's
DS and
Wii gaming systems.
A new
JavaScript
JavaScript (), often abbreviated as JS, is a programming language that is one of the core technologies of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and CSS. As of 2022, 98% of Website, websites use JavaScript on the Client (computing), client side ...
engine, called
Carakan (after the
Javanese alphabet), was introduced with version 10.50. According to Opera Software, it made Opera 10.50 more than seven times faster in
SunSpider than Opera 10.10.
On 16 December 2010, Opera 11 was released, featuring
extensions, tab stacking (where dragging one tab over another allowed creating a group of tabs), visual mouse gestures and changes to the address bar. Opera 12 was released on 14 June 2012.
On 12 February 2013, Opera Software announced that it would drop its own
Presto
Presto may refer to:
Computing
* Presto (browser engine), an engine previously used in the Opera web browser
* Presto (operating system), a Linux-based OS by Xandros
* Presto (SQL query engine), a distributed query engine
* Presto (animation s ...
layout engine in favour of
WebKit as implemented by Google's
Chrome
Chrome may refer to:
Materials
* Chrome plating, a process of surfacing with chromium
* Chrome alum, a chemical used in mordanting and photographic film
Computing
* Google Chrome, a web browser developed by Google
** ChromeOS, a Google Chrome- ...
browser, using code from the
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal.
Chromium metal is valued for its high corrosion resistance and h ...
project. Opera Software planned as well to contribute code to WebKit.
On 3 April 2013, Google announced it would fork components from WebKit to form a new layout engine,
Blink. That day, Opera Software confirmed it would follow Google in implementing Blink.
On 28 May 2013, a beta release of Opera 15 was made available, the first version based on the Chromium project. Many distinctive Opera features of the previous versions were dropped, and
Opera Mail was separated into a standalone application derived from Opera 12.
Acquisition by Chinese consortium
In 2016, the company changed ownership when a group of Chinese investors purchased the web browser, the consumer business, and the Opera Software ASA brand. On 18 July 2016, Opera Software ASA announced it had sold its browser, privacy and performance apps, and the Opera brand to Golden Brick Capital Private Equity Fund I Limited Partnership, a consortium of Chinese investors.
In January 2017, the source code of Opera 12.15, one of the last few versions still based on the Presto layout engine, was leaked.
To demonstrate how radically different a browser could look, Opera Neon, dubbed a "concept browser," was released in January 2017. ''
PC World'' compared it to demo models that automakers and hardware vendors release to show their visions of the future. Instead of a
Speed Dial (also explained in the following chapter, "Features"), it displays the frequently accessed websites in resemblance to a
desktop with computer icons scattered over it in an artistic formation.
Features
Opera has originated features later adopted by other web browsers, including: Speed Dial, pop-up blocking, reopening recently closed pages,
private browsing, and
tabbed browsing.
Additional features include a built-in screenshot tool, Snapshot, which also includes an image-markup tool; built-in ad blockers, and tracking blockers.
Built-in messengers
Opera’s desktop browser includes access to social media messaging apps
WhatsApp
WhatsApp (also called WhatsApp Messenger) is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform, centralized instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by American company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). It allows user ...
,
Telegram,
Facebook Messenger,
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
,
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
,
TikTok, and
VK.
Usability and accessibility
Opera includes a
bookmarks bar and a
download manager
A download manager is a software tool that manages the download, downloading of computer file, files from the Internet, which may be built: into a Web browser, or as a, usually more sophisticated Application software, program.
Data transmission ...
. It also has "Speed Dial" which allows the user to add an unlimited number of pages shown in
thumbnail form in a page displayed when a new tab is opened.
Opera was one of the first browsers to support
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) in 1998.
Opera Turbo, a feature that compresses requested web pages (except
HTTPS pages) before sending them to the users,
is no longer available on the desktop browser. Opera Turbo is available in
Opera Mini, the mobile browser.
Privacy and security
One security feature is the option to delete private data, such as
HTTP cookies, browsing history, items in cache and passwords with the click of a button.
When visiting a site, Opera displays a security badge in the address bar which shows details about the website, including security certificates.
Opera's
fraud
In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compen ...
and
malware
Malware (a portmanteau for ''malicious software'') is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, de ...
protection warns the user about suspicious web pages and is enabled by default. It checks the requested page against several databases of known
phishing and malware websites, called blacklists.
In 2016, a free virtual private network (VPN) service was implemented in the browser. Opera said that this would allow encrypted access to websites otherwise blocked, and provide security on public WiFi networks. It was later determined that the browser VPN operated as a
web proxy rather than a VPN, meaning that it only secured connections made by the browser and not by any other apps on the computer.
Crypto wallet support
In 2018, a built-in
cryptocurrency wallet to the Opera Web Browser was released, announcing that they would be the first browser with a built-in Crypto Wallet. On 13 December 2018, Opera released a video showing many decentralized applications like
Cryptokitties running on the Android version of the Opera Web Browser.
In March 2020, Opera updated its
Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
browser to access crypto domains, making it the first browser to be able to support a
domain name system
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical and distributed naming system for computers, services, and other resources in the Internet or other Internet Protocol (IP) networks. It associates various information with domain names assigned ...
(DNS) which is not part of the traditional DNS directly without the need of a plugin or add-on. This was through a collaboration with a
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
based startup, Unstoppable Domains.
In January 2022, Opera introduced Opera Crypto Browser into public beta, combining a non-custodial wallet with a dedicated browser for blockchain enabled services and Web3 technologies. On April 14 2022, Opera launched its Crypto Browser available on iOS devices.
Other versions
Opera GX
Opera GX is a gaming-oriented counterpart of Opera. The browser was announced and released in
early access for Windows on 11 June 2019, during
E3 2019. The macOS version was released in December of the same year.
Opera GX adds features geared towards gamers on top of the regular Opera browser. The browser allows users to limit network, CPU, and memory usage to preserve system resources, with GX Cleaner, a tool that allows users to clear cache, cookies, and other junk. It also adds integrations with other apps such as
Twitch,
Discord,
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, and
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
. The browser also has a built-in page called the GX Corner, which collates gaming-related releases, deals, and news articles.
On 20 May 2021, Opera released a mobile version of Opera GX on
iOS and
Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
.
Development stages
Opera Software uses a release cycle consisting of three "streams," corresponding to phases of development, that can be downloaded and installed independently of each other: "developer," "beta," and "stable." New features are first introduced in the
developer build, then, depending on user feedback, may progress to the
beta version and eventually be
released.
The developer stream allows early testing of new features, mainly targeting developers, extension creators, and early adopters. Opera developer is not intended for everyday browsing as it is unstable and is prone to failure or crashing, but it enables advanced users to try out new features that are still under development, without affecting their normal installation of the browser. New versions of the browser are released frequently, generally a few times a week.
The beta stream, formerly known as "Opera Next," is a
feature complete package, allowing stability and quality to mature before the final release. A new version is released every couple of weeks.
Both streams can be installed alongside the official release without interference. Each has a different icon to help the user distinguish between the variants.
Market adoption
Integrations
In 2005,
Adobe Systems integrated Opera's rendering engine, Presto, into its
Adobe Creative Suite applications. Opera technology was employed in
Adobe GoLive
Adobe GoLive was a WYSIWYG HTML editor and web site management application from Adobe Systems. It replaced Adobe PageMill as Adobe's primary HTML editor and was itself discontinued in favor of Dreamweaver. The last version of GoLive that Adobe ...
,
Adobe Photoshop,
Adobe Dreamweaver, and other components of the Adobe Creative Suite. Opera's layout engine is also found in Virtual Mechanics SiteSpinner Pro. The Internet Channel is a version of the Opera 9 web browser for use on the
Nintendo Wii created by Opera Software and Nintendo. Opera Software is also implemented in the
Nintendo DS Browser
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
for Nintendo's handheld systems.
Opera is one of the top 5 browsers used around the world.
As of April 2021, Opera's offerings had over 320 million active users.
Reception
The Opera browser has been listed as a "tried and tested direct alternative to Chrome."
It scores close to Chrome on the HTML5test, which scores browsers’ compatibility with different web standards.
Versions with the Presto layout engine have been positively reviewed, although they have been criticized for website compatibility issues. Because of this issue, Opera 8.01 and higher had included workarounds to help certain popular but problematic web sites display properly.
Versions with the Blink layout engine have been criticized by some users for missing features such as
UI customization, and for abandoning Opera Software's own Presto layout engine. Despite that, versions with the Blink layout engine have been noted for being fast and stable, for handling the latest web standards and for having a better website compatibility and a modern-style user interface.
See also
Opera browser platform variants:
*
Opera Mini: a browser for tablets and telephones
*
Opera Mobile
Opera Mobile is a mobile web browser for smartphones, tablets and PDAs developed by Opera.
History
The first devices to run a mobile edition of Opera were the Psion Series 5, Psion Series 5mx, Psion Series 7, and then Psion netBook. They ...
: a browser for tablets and telephones
Related other browsers:
*
Otter Browser
Otter Browser is a cross-platform web browser that aims to recreate aspects of Opera 12.x using Qt framework while keeping seamless integration with users' desktop environments. Otter Browser is licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later. It works on Linux- ...
: an open-source browser that recreates some aspects of the classic Opera
*
Vivaldi: a freeware browser created by former Opera Software employees
Related topics:
*
Comparison of browser synchronizers
*
History of the web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. It further provides for the capture or input of information which may be returned to the presenting system, then st ...
*
List of pop-up blocking software
*
List of web browsers
The following is a list of web browsers that are notable.
Historical
Layout engines
* Gecko is developed by the Mozilla Foundation.
** Goanna is a fork of Gecko developed by Moonchild Productions.
* Servo is an experimental web brows ...
*
Timeline of web browsers
This is a timeline of web browsers from the early 1990s to the present. Prior to browsers, many technologies and systems existed for information viewing and transmission. For an in-depth history of earlier web browsers, see the web browser article ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Opera (Web Browser)
C++ software
Cross-platform web browsers
Embedded Linux
Freeware
OS/2 web browsers
MacOS web browsers
Pocket PC software
Portable software
POSIX web browsers
Proprietary cross-platform software
Proprietary freeware for Linux
Science and technology in Norway
Software based on WebKit
Software companies of Norway
Telenor
Windows web browsers
1994 software
1995 software
Computer-related introductions in 1995
BSD software