Opera
Opera 9. 5 running on Ubuntu (Linux)
Developed by	Opera Software ASA
Initial release	1996, 11–12 years ago
Stable release	9.5  (June 12, 2008 (2008-06-12); 2 days ago) [+/−]
Preview release	none  (n/a) [+/−]
OS	Cross-platform
Available in	Various languages[1]
Genre	Internet suite
License	Proprietary
Website	www.opera.com

Opera is a web browser and Internet suite developed by the Opera Software company. Ubuntu Kubuntu Edubuntu Xubuntu Gobuntu --> Ubuntu A software developer is a person or organization concerned with facets of the software development process wider than design and coding a somewhat broader scope of Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers Allmennaksjeselskap (lit Common Stock Company or ASA is the Norwegian term for a Public limited company. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) A software release is the distribution whether public or private of an initial or new and upgraded version of a Computer software product Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common A software release is the distribution whether public or private of an initial or new and upgraded version of a Computer software product An operating system (commonly abbreviated OS and O/S) is the software component of a Computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination In computing cross-platform (also known as multi-platform) is a term used to refer to Computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Computer software can be organized into categories based on common function type or field of use An Internet suite is an Internet -related Software suite. Internet suites usually include a Web browser, E-mail client (often with a News A software license (or software licence in commonwealth usage is a Legal instrument governing the usage or redistribution of copyright protected software Proprietary software is Computer software on which the producer has set restrictions on use private modification copying, or republishing. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A web browser is a software application which enables a user to display and interact with text images videos music games and other information typically located on a An Internet suite is an Internet -related Software suite. Internet suites usually include a Web browser, E-mail client (often with a News Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers Opera handles common Internet-related tasks such as displaying web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, IRC online chatting, downloading files via BitTorrent, and reading web feeds. Electronic mail, often abbreviated to e-mail, email, or originally eMail, is a Store-and-forward method of writing sending receiving Online chat can refer to any kind of Communication over the Internet, but is primarily meant to refer to direct one-on-one chat or Text-based group BitTorrent is a Peer-to-peer File sharing protocol used to distribute large amounts of Data. A web feed (or news feed) is a data format used for providing users with frequently updated content Opera is offered free of charge for personal computers and mobile phones, but for other devices it must be paid for. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated

Features of Opera include high performance, tabbed browsing, page zooming, mouse gestures, and an integrated download manager. In the area of Graphical user interfaces a tabbed document interface ( TDI) is one that allows multiple Documents to be contained within a single window In Computing, page zooming is the ability to Zoom in and out at page level In Computing, a mouse gesture is a way of combining Computer mouse movements and Clicks which the Software recognizes as a specific A download manager is a Computer program dedicated to the task of downloading (and sometimes uploading) possibly unrelated stand-alone files from (and Its security features include built-in phishing and malware protection, strong encryption when browsing secure web sites, and the ability to easily delete private data such as cookies and browsing history by simply clicking a button. In the field of computer security phishing is the Criminally Fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames Passwords Malware, a Portmanteau word from the words '''mal'''icious and soft'''ware''', is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without HTTP cookies, or more commonly referred to as Web cookies tracking cookies or just cookies are parcels of text sent by a server to a Web client (usually

Opera runs on a variety of personal computer operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris. An operating system (commonly abbreviated OS and O/S) is the software component of a Computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Mac OS X (mæk oʊ ɛs tɛn is a line of computer Operating systems developed marketed and sold by Apple Inc, the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently Linux (commonly pronounced ˈlɪnəks FreeBSD is a Unix-like free Operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD branch through Solaris is a Unix -based Operating system introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1992 as the successor to SunOS. ^[2] But even though evaluations of Opera have been largely positive, Opera has captured only a fraction of the worldwide personal computer browser market. It is currently the fourth most widely used web browser for personal computers, behind Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. Windows Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer abbreviated MSIE) commonly abbreviated to IE, is a series of graphical Safari is a Web browser developed by Apple Inc and included in Mac OS X.

Opera has a stronger market share, however, on mobile devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, and personal digital assistants. A smartphone is a Mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone often with PC -like functionality Editions of Opera are available for devices using the Symbian and Windows Mobile operating systems, as well as Java ME-enabled devices. Symbian OS is an open Operating system, designed for Mobile devices with associated libraries, User interface frameworks and Windows Mobile is a compact Operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for Mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 In computing the Java Platform Micro Edition or Java ME (still commonly referred to by its previous name Java 2 Platform Micro Edition or J2ME) is a specification In fact, approximately 40 million mobile phones have shipped with Opera pre-installed. Furthermore, Opera is the only web browser available for the Nintendo DS and Wii gaming systems. The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Some television set-top boxes use Opera as well, and Adobe licensed Opera technology for use in the Adobe Creative Suite. A set-top box (STB or set-top unit (STU is a device that connects to a Television and an external source of signal, turning the signal into Adobe Systems Incorporated (pronounced a-DOE-bee əˈdoʊbiː ( is an American Computer software company headquartered in San Jose California Adobe Creative Suite is a collection of Graphic design, Video editing, and Web development applications made by Adobe Systems.

History

Main article: History of the Opera web browser

See also: Opera Mobile#History, Opera Mini#History, Nintendo DS Browser#Launch, Internet Channel#History, and Opera Software#History

Håkon Wium Lie, chief technical officer of the Opera Software company and creator of the CSS web standard

Opera began in 1994 as a research project at Telenor, the largest Norwegian telecommunications company. The history of the Opera web browser began in 1994 when it was as a research project at Telenor, the largest Norwegian telecommunications company Opera Mobile is a Web browser for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants (PDAs developed by the Opera Software company Opera Mini is a Web browser designed primarily for Mobile phones but also for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants It uses the The Nintendo DS Browser is a version of the Opera Web browser for use on the Nintendo DS, developed by Opera Software and Nintendo The Internet Channel is a version of the Opera 9 Web browser for use on the Wii by Opera Software and Nintendo. Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers Håkon Wium Lie (born in Norway) is As of 2006, Chief Technology Officer of Opera Software, where he has worked since 1999 A chief technical officer or chief technology officer (abbreviated as CTO) is an executive position whose holder is focused on scientific and technical issues within Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers Telenor () is the incumbent Telecommunications company in Norway, with headquarters located at Fornebu, close to Oslo. In 1995, it branched out into a separate company named Opera Software ASA. Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers Allmennaksjeselskap (lit Common Stock Company or ASA is the Norwegian term for a Public limited company. ^[3] Opera was first released publicly with version 2. 0 in 1996,^[4] which only ran on Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. ^[5] In an attempt to capitalize on the emerging market for Internet-connected handheld devices, a project to port Opera to mobile device platforms was started in 1998. In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows ^[3] Opera 4. 0, released in 2000,^[4] included a new cross-platform core that facilitated creation of editions of Opera for multiple operating systems and platforms. An operating system (commonly abbreviated OS and O/S) is the software component of a Computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows ^[6]

Up to this point, Opera was trialware and had to be purchased after the trial period ended. Demoware (also known as trialware) is commercial Software released for free ( Shareware) in a version which is limited in one or more ways But version 5. 0 (released in 2000) saw the end of this requirement. Instead, Opera became ad-sponsored, displaying advertisements to users who had not paid for it. Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays displays or downloads advertisements ^[7] Later versions of Opera gave the user the choice of seeing banner ads or targeted text advertisements from Google. A web banner or banner ad is a form of Advertising on the World Wide Web. Google Inc is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online With version 8. 5 (released in 2005) the advertisements were removed entirely and primary financial support for the browser came through revenue from Google (which is by contract Opera's default search engine). ^[8]

Among the new features introduced in version 9. 1 (released in 2006) was fraud protection using technology from GeoTrust, a digital certificate provider, and PhishTank, an organization that tracks known phishing web sites. GeoTrust is a large Digital certificate provider GeoTrust was a restarted company in 2001 that acquired the security business of Equifax. In Cryptography, a public key certificate (or identity certificate) is an electronic document which incorporates a Digital signature to bind together a PhishTank is a community based anti- Phishing service PhishTank was launched in October 2006 by Entrepreneur David Ulevitch as an offshoot of OpenDNS In the field of computer security phishing is the Criminally Fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames Passwords ^[9] This feature was further improved and expanded in version 9. 5, when GeoTrust was replaced with Netcraft, and malware protection from Haute Secure was added. GeoTrust is a large Digital certificate provider GeoTrust was a restarted company in 2001 that acquired the security business of Equifax. Netcraft is an Internet services company based in Bath, England. ^[10]

Also in 2006, editions of Opera were made and released for Nintendo's DS and Wii gaming systems. The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. ^{[11][12][13][14]} Opera for the Wii, called the Internet Channel, was free to download from its release on April 12, 2007^[15] until June 30, 2007. The Internet Channel is a version of the Opera 9 Web browser for use on the Wii by Opera Software and Nintendo. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. After June 30, Wii users had to pay 500 Wii Points (about US$5^[16]) to download it. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[17] The Nintendo DS Browser is likewise not free; it is sold as a physical DS game cartridge. The Nintendo DS Browser is a version of the Opera Web browser for use on the Nintendo DS, developed by Opera Software and Nintendo In various types of electronic equipment a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e ^[18]

Features

Main article: Features of the Opera web browser

See also: Opera Mobile#Features, Opera Mini#Features, Nintendo DS Browser#Features, and Internet Channel#Features

The Opera Software company claims that Opera is "the fastest browser on Earth. This article is about the features of the Opera web browser. Usability and accessibility Opera was designed to run on low-end and small computers and with a Opera Mobile is a Web browser for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants (PDAs developed by the Opera Software company Opera Mini is a Web browser designed primarily for Mobile phones but also for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants It uses the The Nintendo DS Browser is a version of the Opera Web browser for use on the Nintendo DS, developed by Opera Software and Nintendo The Internet Channel is a version of the Opera 9 Web browser for use on the Wii by Opera Software and Nintendo. Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers "^[19] Third-party speed tests showed that Opera 9. 01 performed faster than any other browser in four out of seven speed tests on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X and three out of seven on Linux. Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Mac OS X (mæk oʊ ɛs tɛn is a line of computer Operating systems developed marketed and sold by Apple Inc, the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently Linux (commonly pronounced ˈlɪnəks Its strongest point by far was JavaScript execution, performing about twice as fast as the other browsers. JavaScript is a Scripting language most often used for Client-side web development ^[20]

Opera includes built-in tabbed browsing, pop-up blocking, fraud protection, a download manager and BitTorrent client, a search bar, and a web feed aggregator. In the area of Graphical user interfaces a tabbed document interface ( TDI) is one that allows multiple Documents to be contained within a single window Pop-up ads or popups are a form of online advertising on the World Wide Web intended to attract Web traffic or capture email addresses A download manager is a Computer program dedicated to the task of downloading (and sometimes uploading) possibly unrelated stand-alone files from (and BitTorrent is a Peer-to-peer File sharing protocol used to distribute large amounts of Data. A web feed (or news feed) is a data format used for providing users with frequently updated content In computing a feed aggregator, also known as a feed reader, news reader or simply aggregator, is client software or a Web application Opera also comes with an e-mail client called Opera Mail and an IRC chat client built in. Electronic mail, often abbreviated to e-mail, email, or originally eMail, is a Store-and-forward method of writing sending receiving Opera Mail, internally referred to as M2, is the e-mail and News client built into the Opera Internet suite Online chat can refer to any kind of Communication over the Internet, but is primarily meant to refer to direct one-on-one chat or Text-based group ^[21]

Opera includes a "Speed Dial" feature, which allows the user to add up to nine links to the page displayed when a new tab is opened. Thumbnails of the linked pages are automatically generated and used for visual recognition on the Speed Dial page. Thumbnails are reduced-size versions of Pictures used to help in recognizing and organizing them serving the same role for images as a normal text index does for Once set up, this feature allows the user to more easily navigate to the selected web pages. ^[22]

Opera supports "Opera Widgets", small web applications that start from within Opera. Alongside Widgets, "User JavaScript" may be used to add custom JavaScript to web pages, including Greasemonkey scripts. Greasemonkey is a Mozilla Firefox extension that allows users to install scripts that make on-the-fly changes to most HTML-based Opera is extensible in a third way via plug-ins, relatively small programs that add specific functions to the browser. ^[23] However, Opera limits what plug-ins can do and does not support full-fledged third-party extensions to the browser. Opera does this as a quality assurance measure, so that third-party extensions cannot introduce bugs. Quality assurance, or QA for short refers to planned and systematic production processes that provide confidence in a product's suitability for its intended purpose ^[24]

Usability and accessibility

Sample mouse gestures in Opera
	Back: hold down right mouse button, move mouse left, and release or hold the right button down and click the left button
	Forward: hold down right mouse button, move mouse right, and release or hold the left button down and click the right button
	New tab: hold down right mouse button, move mouse down, and release

Opera was designed with a commitment to computer accessibility for users who have visual or mobility impairments. In Human-computer interaction, computer accessibility (also known as Accessible computing) refers to the Accessibility of a Computer system to As a multimodal browser, it also caters to a wide variety of personal preferences in the user interface. A multimodal browser is one which allows Multimodal interaction for input and/or output - for example keyboard and voice interfaces

It is possible to control nearly every aspect of the browser using only the keyboard,^[25] and the default keyboard shortcuts can be modified to suit the user. In Computing, a keyboard is an Input device partially modelled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys A keyboard shortcut (or accelerator key, shortcut key, hot key, key binding, keybinding, key combo, etc ^[26][27] Opera also includes support for mouse gestures,^[28] patterns of mouse movement that trigger browser actions such as "back" or "refresh". In Computing, a mouse gesture is a way of combining Computer mouse movements and Clicks which the Software recognizes as a specific ^[29]

Page zooming allows text, images and other content such as Macromedia Flash, Java and Scalable Vector Graphics to be increased or decreased in size (20% to 1000%) to help those with impaired vision. In Computing, page zooming is the ability to Zoom in and out at page level An image (from Latin imago) or picture is an artifact usually two-dimensional that has a similar appearance to some subject &mdashusually Adobe Flash (previously called Shockwave Flash and Macromedia Flash) is a set of Multimedia software created by Macromedia and currently Java refers to a number of Computer software products and specifications from Sun Microsystems that together provide a system for developing Application software The user may also specify the fonts and colors for web pages, and even override the page's CSS styling as well. This can be useful for making sites appear in high contrast or in more readable fonts. High Contrast is the Stage name of Welsh Drum and bass DJ and producer Lincoln Barrett ^[30]

Voice control, co-developed with IBM, allows control of the browser without the use of a keyboard or mouse. A voice command device is a device controlled by means of the human voice International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology ^[31][32] It can also read aloud pages and marked text. ^[21]

Privacy and security

Opera has several security features visible to the end user. One is the option to delete private data, such as cookies, the browsing history, and the cache, with the click of a button. HTTP cookies, or more commonly referred to as Web cookies tracking cookies or just cookies are parcels of text sent by a server to a Web client (usually In Computer science, a cache (kæʃ like "cash") is a collection of data duplicating original This lets users erase personal data after browsing from a shared computer. ^[33]

When visiting a secure web site, Opera encrypts data using either SSL 3 or TLS,^[34][35] both of which are highly secure encryption protocols. Transport Layer Security ( TLS) and its predecessor Secure Sockets Layer ( SSL) are Cryptographic protocols that provide secure Transport Layer Security ( TLS) and its predecessor Secure Sockets Layer ( SSL) are Cryptographic protocols that provide secure It then adds information about the site's security to the address bar. An address bar (also location bar or URL bar) is a widget in a graphical user interface Web browser that indicates the current or It will also check the web site that is being visited against blacklists of phishing and malware, and warn if it matches any of these lists. In the field of computer security phishing is the Criminally Fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames Passwords Malware, a Portmanteau word from the words '''mal'''icious and soft'''ware''', is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without This behavior is enabled by default, but the user may opt to not make such checks automatically. If this check is disabled, the user can still check sites individually by opening a Page Info dialog. ^[36]

To catch security flaws and other bugs before they are exploited or become a serious problem, the Opera Software company maintains a public web form where users can submit bug reports. A software bug (or just “bug” is an error flaw mistake Failure, fault or “undocumented feature” in a Computer program that prevents it Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers A webform on a Web page allows a user to enter data that is typically sent to a server for processing and to mimic the usage of paper forms. ^[37] According to Secunia, a computer security service provider, 13 security vulnerabilities have been publicly identified in Opera 9. Secunia is a Danish Computer security service provider best known for tracking vulnerabilities in more than 12400 pieces of software and Operating x as of May 2008, zero of which remain unpatched. International holidays May 1 - Labour Day ( Pakistan) May 1 - Labour Day ( Singapore) ^[38] This stands in contrast to Firefox 2. 0. x (four out of 23 known vulnerabilities unpatched),^[39] Internet Explorer 7.x (eight out of 24 known vulnerabilities unpatched),^[40] and Safari 3. Safari is a Web browser developed by Apple Inc and included in Mac OS X. x (one out of three known vulnerabilities unpatched). ^[41]

However, in January 2007, Asa Dotzler of the competing Mozilla Corporation criticized the Opera Software company for downplaying information about known security vulnerabilities in Opera. Asa Dotzler (ˈeɪsə ˈdɒtslɚ born in Summertown Tennessee on June 5, 1974, is best known for his work as community coordinator for several Mozilla The Mozilla Corporation (abbreviated MoCo) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation that coordinates and integrates the development of Internet Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers Dotzler claimed that users were not clearly informed of security vulnerabilities present in older versions of Opera, and thus they would not realize that they needed to upgrade to the latest version or risk being exploited. ^[42]

Standards support

Opera was one of the first browsers to support Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), now a major building block of web design. ^[43] Today, Opera supports many web standards, including CSS 2. Web standards is a general term for the formal standards and other technical Specifications that define and describe aspects of the World Wide Web. 1, HTML 4. HTML, an initialism of HyperText Markup Language, is the predominant Markup language for Web pages It provides a means to describe the structure 01, XHTML 1. The Extensible Hypertext Markup Language, or XHTML, is a 1, XHTML Basic, XHTML Mobile Profile, XHTML+Voice, WML 2. XHTML Mobile Profile (XHTML MP is a Hypertextual Computer language standard designed specifically for Mobile phones and other resource-constrained devices XHTML+Voice (commonly X+V) is an XML language for describing multimodal user interfaces. 0, XSLT, XPath, XSL-FO, ECMAScript 3 (JavaScript), DOM 2, XMLHttpRequest, HTTP 1. Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations ( XSLT) is an XML -based language used for the transformation of XML documents into other XML or "human-readable" XPath (XML Path Language is a language for selecting nodes from an XML document XSL Formatting Objects, or XSL-FO, is a Markup language for XML document formatting which is most often used to generate PDFs XSL-FO is part of XSL ECMAScript is a Scripting language, standardized by Ecma International in the ECMA-262 specification. JavaScript is a Scripting language most often used for Client-side web development The Document Object Model ( DOM) is a platform- and language -independent standard Object model for representing HTML or XML and related XMLHttpRequest ( XHR) is an API that can be used by JavaScript and other Web browser Scripting languages to transfer XML Hypertext Transfer Protocol ( HTTP) is a Communications protocol for the transfer of information on the Internet. 1, Unicode, SVG 1. In Computing, Unicode is an Industry standard allowing Computers to consistently represent and manipulate text expressed in most of the world's 1 Basic, SVG 1. 1 Tiny, GIF89a, JPEG, and full support for PNG, including alpha transparency. Portable Network Graphics ( PNG) is a bitmapped image format that employs Lossless data compression. In Computer graphics, alpha compositing is the process of combining an image with a background to create the appearance of partial transparency ^[44]

Since version 9, Opera also passes the Acid2 test, a test of whether or not a browser properly supports certain web standards. Acid2 is a test page published and promoted by the Web Standards Project to identify Web page rendering flaws in Web browsers and other applications Opera was the fourth web browser to pass the test and the first Windows browser to pass the test. Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. ^[45]

Other editions

Aside from the main edition of Opera for computers, editions of Opera are available for a variety of devices. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated All are based on the same core,^[46] but there is some variation in the features offered and the design of the user interface.

Smartphones and PDAs

Opera will run on smartphones such as this Nokia 6630. The Nokia 6630 is a 3G Smartphone made by Nokia, using the Series 60 platform with the Symbian operating system, released in November

Main article: Opera Mobile

Opera Mobile is an edition of Opera designed for smartphones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Opera Mobile is a Web browser for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants (PDAs developed by the Opera Software company Opera Mobile is a Web browser for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants (PDAs developed by the Opera Software company A smartphone is a Mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone often with PC -like functionality The first version of Opera Mobile was released in 2000 for the Psion Series 7 and netBook, with a port to the Windows Mobile platform coming in 2004. The Psion Series 7 is a Notebook computer from Psion that was released in 2000 The Psion NetBook is a notebook computer from Psion and similar in design to the Psion 7. Windows Mobile is a compact Operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for Mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 ^[47][48] Today, Opera Mobile is available for a variety of devices that run the Windows Mobile, S60, or UIQ operating systems. Windows Mobile is a compact Operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for Mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 The S60 Platform (formerly Series 60 User Interface is a software platform for Mobile phones that runs on Symbian OS. UIQ (formerly known as User Interface Quartz by UIQ Technology is a Software platform based upon Symbian OS. An operating system (commonly abbreviated OS and O/S) is the software component of a Computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination ^[49]

Users may try Opera Mobile free for 30 days, but beyond that it costs US$24. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[50] Devices that use the UIQ 3 operating system, such as the Sony Ericsson P990 and Motorola RIZR Z8, come pre-installed with Opera Mobile, the price of Opera Mobile being included in the price of the phone. UIQ (formerly known as User Interface Quartz by UIQ Technology is a Software platform based upon Symbian OS. Sony Ericsson P990 is a Smartphone and the successor of Sony Ericsson P910. The Motorola RIZR Z8 (pronounced " Riser " or MOTO Z8 is a Smartphone manufactured by Motorola. ^[49]

One of Opera Mobile's major features is the ability to dynamically reformat web pages to better fit the handheld's display using Small-Scale Rendering technology. A web page or webpage is a resource of information that is suitable for the World Wide Web and can be accessed through a Web browser. A visual display unit, often called simply a monitor or display, is a piece of Electrical equipment which displays images generated from the Video ^[51] Alternatively, the user may use page zooming for a closer or broader look. In Computing, page zooming is the ability to Zoom in and out at page level ^[52] However, like previous versions of Opera for personal computers, Opera Mobile's user interface has come under fire for being difficult to use or customize. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated The user interface (or Human Computer Interface) is the aggregate of means by which people&mdash the users '&mdash interact with the System ^[53][54]

Mobile phones

When a user browses the web using Opera Mini, the request is sent via the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) to one of the Opera Software company's servers, and that server retrieves the web page, processes it, compresses it, and sends it back to the user's mobile phone. General Packet Radio Service (GPRS is a Packet oriented Mobile Data Service available to users of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM and Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers

Main article: Opera Mini

Opera Mini, offered free of charge, is designed primarily for mobile phones, but also for smartphones and personal digital assistants. Opera Mini is a Web browser designed primarily for Mobile phones but also for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants It uses the Opera Mini is a Web browser designed primarily for Mobile phones but also for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants It uses the A smartphone is a Mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone often with PC -like functionality It uses the Java ME platform and consequently requires that the mobile device be capable of running Java ME applications. In computing the Java Platform Micro Edition or Java ME (still commonly referred to by its previous name Java 2 Platform Micro Edition or J2ME) is a specification The browser began as a pilot project in 2005. ^[55] After limited releases in Europe,^[56][57] it was officially launched worldwide on January 24, 2006. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[58]

Opera Mini requests web pages through the Opera Software company's servers, which process and compress them before relaying the pages back to the mobile phone. A web page or webpage is a resource of information that is suitable for the World Wide Web and can be accessed through a Web browser. Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers ^[59][60] This compression process makes transfer time about two to three times faster^[61] and the pre-processing smooths compatibility with web pages not designed for mobile phones. ^[62]

Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS

Main article: Nintendo DS Browser

The Nintendo DS Browser is an edition of Opera for the Nintendo DS handheld gaming system. The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The Nintendo DS Browser is a version of the Opera Web browser for use on the Nintendo DS, developed by Opera Software and Nintendo The Nintendo DS Browser is a version of the Opera Web browser for use on the Nintendo DS, developed by Opera Software and Nintendo The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The Nintendo DS Browser was released in Japan July 24, 2006,^[63] in Europe October 6, 2006,^[64] and in North America June 4, 2007. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[65] It is sold as a physical game cartridge for US$30. In various types of electronic equipment a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[18]

The Nintendo DS Browser includes the same Small-Scale Rendering and page zooming technology present in Opera Mobile. In Computing, page zooming is the ability to Zoom in and out at page level Opera Mobile is a Web browser for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants (PDAs developed by the Opera Software company ^[66][52] It also includes handwriting recognition software and an on-screen keyboard to enable user input. Handwriting recognition is the ability of a computer to receive and interpret intelligible Handwritten input such as pendrives digital cameras and other devices A virtual keyboard is a software and/or hardware component that allows a user to enter characters Additionally, Nintendo partnered with Astaro Internet Security to provide web filtering for the Nintendo DS Browser. is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto Japan founded on Astaro, founded in 2000, is a company that sells Computer software and hardware that aims to protect against Internet threats such as system intruders Content-control software, also known as censorware or web filtering software, is a term for software designed and optimized for controlling what content The technology is simply a professionally maintained proxy server that blocks web sites related to pornography, discrimination, security hacking, software piracy, violence, gambling, illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, dating, weapons, abortion, and other objectionable content. In Computer networks a proxy server is a server (a computer system or an application program which services the requests of its clients by forwarding In common usage hacker is generic term for a computer criminal often with a specific specialty in computer intrusion The Copyright infringement of Software (also known as software piracy) refers to several practices which involve the unauthorized copying of computer ^[67] Users can configure the Nintendo DS Browser to receive web pages through this proxy server, and this setting can be password-protected (by a parent, for example) to prevent circumvention. ^[68]

In August 2007, the Nintendo DS Browser was quietly discontinued in North America,^[69][18] although it is still available from Nintendo's online store. ^[70]

Wii

The Nintendo Wii

Main article: Internet Channel

On May 10, 2006, the Opera Software company announced that it was partnering with Nintendo to provide a web browser for Nintendo's Wii gaming console. The Internet Channel is a version of the Opera 9 Web browser for use on the Wii by Opera Software and Nintendo. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers ^{[13][71][72][73]} Opera for the Wii, called the Internet Channel, was free to download from its release on April 12, 2007^[15] until June 30, 2007. The Internet Channel is a version of the Opera 9 Web browser for use on the Wii by Opera Software and Nintendo. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. After June 30, Wii users had to pay 500 Wii Points (US$5^[16]) to download it. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[17]

Scott Hedrick, an executive of the Opera Software company, explained that the Wii browser was designed to suit a "living room environment". Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers In contrast to Opera's appearance on computer monitors, fonts are larger and the interface is simplified for easier use. ^[74] Notwithstanding the changes in design, the Wii browser supports all the same web standards as the desktop version of Opera 9,^[74] including passing the Acid2 test. Web standards is a general term for the formal standards and other technical Specifications that define and describe aspects of the World Wide Web. Acid2 is a test page published and promoted by the Web Standards Project to identify Web page rendering flaws in Web browsers and other applications ^[75]

Market adoption

Statistics reference: Usage share of web browsers

As of February 2008, usage data gives Opera's overall global share of the browser market as being about 1%^[76][77] although Opera's usage share is about 14-17% in Russia^{[78][79][80][81]} and Ukraine,^[82] and 5–6% in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic. Usage share, in Web browser statistics is the percentage of visitors to a group of web sites that use a particular browser PortalCurrent events International holidays February 2 - Candlemas February 5 - Shrove Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, ^[83]

Since its first release in 1996, the browser has had limited success on personal computers. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated It is currently the fourth most widely used web browser for personal computers, behind Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. Windows Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer abbreviated MSIE) commonly abbreviated to IE, is a series of graphical Safari is a Web browser developed by Apple Inc and included in Mac OS X. ^[76] Opera has had more success in the area of mobile browsing, with product releases for a variety of platforms. In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows ^[84] Approximately 40 million mobile phones have shipped with a copy of Opera pre-installed. ^[85]

In addition to mobile phones, smartphones, and personal digital assistants, Opera has found a place with Nintendo's Wii and DS gaming systems. A smartphone is a Mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone often with PC -like functionality is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto Japan founded on The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It is used on some television set-top boxes as well. A set-top box (STB or set-top unit (STU is a device that connects to a Television and an external source of signal, turning the signal into ^[86] And in 2005, Adobe opted to integrate Opera's layout engine, Presto, into its Adobe Creative Suite applications. Adobe Systems Incorporated (pronounced a-DOE-bee əˈdoʊbiː ( is an American Computer software company headquartered in San Jose California A layout engine, or rendering engine, is software that takes marked up content (such as HTML, XML, image files etc Presto is a Layout engine for the Opera web browser developed by Opera Software. Adobe Creative Suite is a collection of Graphic design, Video editing, and Web development applications made by Adobe Systems. Opera technology is now found in Adobe GoLive, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Dreamweaver, and other components of the Adobe Creative Suite. Adobe GoLive is an HTML editor and web site management application from Adobe Systems. Adobe Dreamweaver is a Web development application originally created by Allaire Systems who was acquired approximately 1998 by Macromedia and is now owned ^[87][88]

Critical reception

See also: Opera Mobile#Critical reception, Opera Mini#Critical reception, and Nintendo DS Browser#Critical reception

Critical reception of Opera has been largely positive,^[89][90][91] although the user interface has received some negative criticism. Opera Mobile is a Web browser for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants (PDAs developed by the Opera Software company Opera Mini is a Web browser designed primarily for Mobile phones but also for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants It uses the The Nintendo DS Browser is a version of the Opera Web browser for use on the Nintendo DS, developed by Opera Software and Nintendo The user interface (or Human Computer Interface) is the aggregate of means by which people&mdash the users '&mdash interact with the System Opera has also been criticized for website compatibility issues,^[92][93] partly because many web sites do not adhere to web standards as diligently as Opera. Web standards is a general term for the formal standards and other technical Specifications that define and describe aspects of the World Wide Web. ^[94][95][96] Because of this issue, recent versions of Opera include workarounds to help certain popular but problematic web sites display properly. ^[97]

Nevertheless, when Nintendo chose in 2006 to adopt Opera as the web browser for its Wii and DS gaming systems, a Nintendo representative explained:

Awards

See also: Opera Mobile#Awards and Opera Mini#Awards

Over the years, Opera for personal computers has received several awards. is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto Japan founded on Opera Mobile is a Web browser for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants (PDAs developed by the Opera Software company Opera Mini is a Web browser designed primarily for Mobile phones but also for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants It uses the These awards include:^[98]

• Download.com top rated, 5 out of 5
• PC World World Class Award, 2004 and 2005
• Web Host Magazine & Buyer's Guide Editors' Choice
• PC Magazin Testsieger (Test Winner), 2006
• PC Plus Performance Award
• PC World Best Data Product, 2003
• PC World Best i Test, 2003
• Web Attack Editor's Pick, 2003
• ZDNet Editor's Pick, 2000
• Tech Cruiser Award 4 Excellence, 1999

Future development

See also: Opera Mobile#Future development

As the Opera Software company works on upcoming versions of Opera, they are releasing snapshot builds about once a week for testing and feedback. Downloadcom is an Internet Download directory Website, launched in 1996 as a part of CNET. PC World is a global Computer magazine published monthly by IDG. In 1991 Ziff Davis Publishing Company brought together a small diverse set of online forums and information services (most notably "PC MagNet" under the name Opera Mobile is a Web browser for Smartphones and Personal digital assistants (PDAs developed by the Opera Software company Opera Software ( is a Norwegian corporation primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers In the field of Computer software, the term software build refers either to the process of converting Source code files into standalone software artifact(s that can Feedback is a circular causal Process whereby some proportion of a system's output is returned (fed back to the Input. ^[99]

Opera version 10, codenamed Peregrine (after the Peregrine Falcon), will have new features, an improved user interface, increased standards support, bug fixes, performance improvements, and new tools for web developers. The Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregrinus) also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America is a The user interface (or Human Computer Interface) is the aggregate of means by which people&mdash the users '&mdash interact with the System Web standards is a general term for the formal standards and other technical Specifications that define and describe aspects of the World Wide Web. A web developer is a Software developer or Software engineer who is specifically engaged in the development of World Wide Web applications or distributed ^[100][101] Also, a development build of Opera's layout engine, Presto, scores 100/100 on the Acid3 standards compliance test and renders the test correctly. Presto is a Layout engine for the Opera web browser developed by Opera Software. Acid3 is a test page from the Web Standards Project that checks how well a Web browser follows certain Web standards, especially relating to the Document However, it does not actually pass the test due to slow performance. ^[102]

See also

• Comparison of BitTorrent clients
• Comparison of web browsers
• Comparison of e-mail clients
• Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients
• Comparison of news clients
• Browser timeline

References

External links

• Opera Software Homepage
• Developer's Corner – has a wealth of information of development with the Opera browser
• Opera Browser Wiki
• Opera Powered products
• Opera Widgets
• UserJS.org – the unofficial central repository for Opera User JavaScript
• Opera's Awards
• The Next Wave: Opera 9.5 (Kestrel) and Opera 10 (Peregrine)
• Review of Opera 9.5 (PC Magazine)