A new browser that isn't from Microsoft Corp. or Netscape Communications Inc.? Yes, and Opera Software A/S' new Opera browser is as different from the big guys as possible--mostly in good ways.
Opera Software A/S, of Oslo, Norway, this week released a beta version of its Opera 4.0 browser. In PC Week Labs' tests, the browser proved capable, highly customizable, standards-compliant and innovative--all in a tightly coded (only 1.5MB) application.
The Opera browser also has excellent platform support: It runs on Windows 3.x and higher, Linux, BeOS and Epoc, and will be ported to the Mac OS and OS/2 platforms.
Opera, which runs well even on X386 systems, will allow administrators to squeeze more functionality out of older machines. For site developers, Opera is an excellent baseline browser; it boasts the best standards support of any non-World Wide Web Consortium browser, making it possible to test pages for standards compliance.
For regular Web users, however, this adherence to spec may be a liability; Opera has trouble with the many popular sites that are, shall we say, less than standards-compliant.
Another drawback is Opera's lack of Java support (a plug-in must be used). And, unlike its competitors, the US$35 Opera isn't free. But for some people, $35 is not too much to pay to avoid the bloat associated with Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape's Communicator.
The beta version of the Opera 4.0 browser can be downloaded at www.opera.com.
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