14 DAY TRIAL // Opera has released the first beta version of its upcoming web browser, Opera 10. Opera is a free browser that also has an integrated email client, RSS reader and even download torrents. The new version is faster than ever and is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
“Your Web browser is the most important piece of software you will ever use,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “We think Opera 10 will redefine how you can enjoy the Web. We have more surprises on the way, but when you try the features, enjoy the accelerated performance and get a glimpse at our shiny new wrapping, I think Opera 10 beta will excite both long-time users and those new to Opera.”
The new version brings a handful of improvements and features. Opera has always focused on speed and this latest version is no exception, as it offers the company's proprietary compression technology to accelerate web page loading especially on slow connections like dial-up or a slow Wi-Fi but broadband users might also see a difference in some cases. Also increased is JavaScript performance, an area most browsers focus on lately because of more and more complex and demanding web applications.
There have been some changes and tweaks from a visual point of view too, most notable being the new default skin created by Jon Hicks, a British designer. The tab bar has also seen an upgrade and now you can see thumbnails of the current pages inside the bar. This is optional and customizable so you don't have to worry about it taking up too much space. In fact, this was also a major focus and now most areas and features of the browser are much more customizable. Speed Dial is one example, as you can now choose the number of dials you want to see and also change the background. Also, it is a lot easier to change the defaults for all of the integrated components, email, RSS and torrent so you can use an external tool if you want to.
“Initially, we were just going to clean-up some elements and focus on the interface for new features,” said Jon Hicks. “But, over time, the new user interface elements became so different that we decided to update everything. Mac users in particular should enjoy this update to the default Opera skin.”