14 DAY TRIAL // Opera has released a Macintosh compatible build of Opera 11 Beta, the latest version of its feature-packed desktop web browser. The release focuses on tabbed browsing, extensions (browser add-ons that enhance the capabilities of Opera), new visual interface highlights mouse paths for mouse gestures, and more.
According to a recent news release, the Norway-based software company believes that tabbed browsing os one of the essential features in all browsers.
The feature has evolved yet again, Opera claims, “thanks to its long-time pioneer.”
The latest version introduces tab stacking, described by Opera as “a better way to organize your open tabs.”
The company explains: “Traditionally, tabs were opened side-by-side, but now people using Opera can stack their tabs, grouping them by site or by theme. Tab stacking reduces clutter and makes it easier to identify and work with sets of open tabs.”
To stack tabs, users simply drag one tab on top of another.
To expand the stack in a visual preview, users can hover with their mouse pointer over a tab.
“Tabs are the most popular feature in browsers today,” said Jan Standal, VP of Desktop Products, Opera. “Because so many of us wrestle with tens or even hundreds of open tabs, we needed a way to simplify tab management. Just like stacking papers for future reference, stacking your tabs is an intuitive way to organize and collect your open Web pages.”
Opera 11 also introduces extensions. According to the browser’s vendor, more than 500,000 extensions have been downloaded in the three weeks since extensions debuted in the alpha release of Opera 11.
Thanks to a new developer mode in Opera 11 beta, extensions are now even even easier to make.
Mouse gestures, an Opera-specific feature, are also enhanced in version 11 Beta, with new visual interface highlights mouse paths that helps “guide the discovery, use and mastery of these powerful shortcuts.”
A full list of mouse gestures is available here.
Smaller improvements are also highlighted in Opera’s news release, including:
- The address field now hides unnecessary information and puts the security status of each page front and center. Now, badges explain the security state of the site, giving consumers clear information about the sites they visit. - Plug-ins can be set to load on-demand. This can give as much as 30 percent performance improvement. - Extensions and Opera Unite applications are updated automatically through Opera’s update mechanism.