Opera 10 (code named Peregrine) is slated to arrive later this year. As a long time Opera user I have my own expectations of Peregrine. Here, I present to you ten improvements that I want to see in Opera v10. I am not a codie so my wish-list doesn�t deal with under the hood rendering engine improvements (only exception being Wish #8), rather all of them are noticeable feature additions/improvements.
10. Better Download Manager : Opera already has an excellent download manager. In fact it’s much better than download managers integrated with other browsers. But there is always scope for improvement. I want to see ability to limit the bandwidth being used by Opera’s download manager. The ability to queue downloads would also be a nice addition.
9. Inline Spell Checker : The oSpell userjs is excellent as an inline spell checker. However, this is something that should be provided by Opera out of the box. Heck, even barebones Firefox has it!
8. Prioritize page loading : This feature was suggested by Scott at myOpera forums. He wants Opera to give higher priority to the foreground tab and load that webpage faster than the ones in the background. I think this is a wonderful idea and would definitely make Opera more productive.
7. Private Browsing : Safari has a neat little feature called Private Browsing. Firefox users can use extensions like Stealther and Distrust. Yes, Opera allows users to delete private data. But this is different. When it is enabled web pages are not added to the History, items are automatically removed from the Downloads window and information (including names and passwords) is not saved for Autofill. So only private data collected during Private Browsing is deleted. The utility of Private browsing is pretty obvious.
6. Rich Text Copy : Sometime back Opera removed rich text copy, apparently due to security concerns. Talk about paranoia! I hate the fact that they didn�t even give users the option. I hate the fact that I have to use another browser to copy text with all the formatting. Only other alternative is using a complicated solution devised by Lex1. I hope to see rich text copy back in next version. Plain text copy should remain the default (associated with Ctrl+C), but users should also be allowed to copy text with all formatting via the right click context menu and keyboard shortcut.
5. Activity Monitor : This feature is already present in Safari, and is extremely handy when you want to download streaming content. Currently I have to use Naviscope to monitor browser activity. This is something that should be built into Opera.
4. Better Pop-up Blocker : Although Opera does a better job than most other browsers it fails to block a few types of pop-up ads. For example go to http://www.vtunnel.com/ and click on the search field. Opera fails to block the pop-up that�s triggered by clicking. I hope peregrine is able to distinguish between clicking on a hyperlink and other areas of the page. But nothing is more annoying that those in-page floating ads.
3. Userjs Manager : I am sure this is something power users would appreciate. Userjs functionality was added way back in v8. Strangely enough, Opera Software hasnt yet integrated it with Opera Browser’s UI. Not surprisingly, most Opera users aren’t even aware of this feature. Adding an userjs manager shouldn�t be too difficult. In fact thanks to George from myOpera forums we already have a 3rd party Userjs manager. I also want Opera Software to start Userjs gallery on their website.
2. Form Filler : This is something that the users have been demanding for along time. So far Opera Software has turned a deaf ear to all user requests. Hopefully an intelligent form filler (similar to AI Roboform) would be included in Peregrine.
[shoust and other opera users are trying to come up with an userjs to achieve this. Check out this thread]
1. API for Add-ons : Doesn’t matter how feature rich the developers make Opera there’ll always be that little specific feature that the power users will miss. Opera has long been considered to be a browser aimed at power users, yet it lags behind other browsers in this respect. In fact it’s the only major browser (for Windows) that doesn�t allow add-ons. Firefox, Internet Explorer 7 and Maxthon have all implemented add-ons successfully. Undoubtedly extensions are Firefox’s biggest strength. Lack of add-ons means that power users would never switch over from Firefox. And it’s these power users who helped in spreading Firefox. These power users are often opinion makers. Without add-ons Opera cannot hope to get more than 2.5% marketshare. Anyone who doesn�t want to use these add-ons are most welcome to do so. But, Opera Software must provide an option for rest of us. I dicussed the pros of providing an API here.
What do you think about my wishlist? What are the features you want to see in Opera 10?
P.S. Another feature I want to see is update manager. However I didnt include it in the list as according to the information I have it is going to be included in future versions of Opera.
I would like to see point no 1, add-on support.
Add-on support … It will really make Opera much more popular than others. 😉
I agree with both of you. Firefox is able to compete with Opera only because of it’s extensions. However, due to some strange reason Opera developers dont want to create an API.
10 Things People Want on Opera…
One of the Leading Browser is Opera, a lot of Web tools and packages were generally operable at this browser. On the other hand its competitors, IE and Mozilla has also a lot of things to offer.
S……
You seem to be a die-hard Opera fan, Pallab 😉
Well, I am an Opera fan. But I use Fx also a lot.
Hi,
instead of waiting for an Opera “form filler”, just use Clipperz! (… I’m a tad biased …)
Clipperz is an online password manager that recently released a version optimized for Opera (and Firefox) sidebar. It’s called Clipperz Compact
Clipperz Compact will enable one-click access to your online services. Never type again a password!
Regards,
Marco Barulli
Clipperz co-founder
my primary wish is to be able to drag-and-drop links and images and such into other programs, basically the exact same way IE does it.
some other small improvements i can think of that you haven’t listed:
– showing yes/no for whether or not a file is resumeable in the transfer manager
– the ability to manually check an RSS feed (if this can be done, i don’t know how). maybe even the option to “reset” an rss feed, so any removed but current news will show up again.
– right-click ability in bookmarks menu, or at the very least middle-click ability to open in a new tab
– would be nice to have multiple quick-download locations
and there’s likely other things, but i can’t think of them right now 🙂
@Pallab
Although this is often heard and the most visible and outstanding feature I strongly disagree that this is the main reason for the success of Firefox. My arguments (in this moment I don’t refer to the question about API in Opera):
there is no big announecment in any general browser comparison I know that IE is very extensible although in the same article it is said to be the strength of Firefox
there are a lot of other reasons (besides API) that make Firefox a very successful browser: it is cool, it is Open Source and developed by volunteers, it got a lot of attention even in the not technical media (just remember all the reports about collecting a lot of money for an advertisement page) etc and all this evolved into a big hype raising awareness and a good feeling to use Firefox (technically it was just good enough)
The Firefox movement was strong enough to force the web developers to make their pages work and look good in Firefox (and provide how to’s).
But sure I agree with you that some power users or special users just get the functionality they need or think is nice to have with extensions and this even increases word of mouth.
For the debate about Opera extensions I never quite got the reason why Opera doesn’t use the word “extensions” or “add ons” for all the possibilities to customize and extend Opera (Custom buttons, Widgets, UserCSS, UserJS, custom ini files for menus, toolbars, shortcuts, etc). Already now Opera has several APIs, especially UserJS and all the browser actions (see several All Action Lists on operawiki.info). Yes, I know it is not quite the same but in the end you are even able to replace the complete browser GUI (look out for Shoust’s browser panel which could be extended).
And furthermore you have several points in your wish-list for things you want to have integrated into Opera where a third party solution already exists – isn’t that what extensions would be, third party solutions?
10) Oget + download manager (or simply integrate the download manager into your menus or as button), 9) oSpell 8) % 7) Operator or similar setups or simply a second Opera installation with disabled cach and cleared private data on exit (I know it’s not the same but therefore more powerful) 6) Lex1’s solution is still improving 5) not quite sure what you want: FLV Downloader Widget or Download FLV userJS or maybe the full progressbar as popup at the bottom ? 4) why the heck Opera has to be better if it already is the best? (sure there always is room for improvements and and so does Opera) 3) Userjs manager (and I agree that UserJS should be integrated in Opera’s extensions/add on page) 2) OpS – Opera input suggestion, autocomplete userJS, Personal information fields in wand (which work even automaticly) 1) AllActions / UserJS etc
Well, indeed I strongly support your points 8 + 6 and I think the rest would be nice to have (while I’d think unified wording and presentation would be enough for APIs)
@dave
both works for me (may be you have to uncheck Hotlist single click + restart Opera)
It is already there for different file (MIME) types:
Tools – Preferences – Advanced – Download – search for the extension (maybe uncheck “Hide file types opened with Opera”) – Save to disk + check: “Do not ask for folder, but save directly to” and specify the folder
Opera has had spell checking for a few versions now. I am 100% with you on the rest of the list.
I also wish they’d make certain settings, like “Fit to Width” available in site preferences as well, and copying to the clipboard in CF_HTML format intead of plain text only. I’d also like one-shot settings, so that when I’m surfing with plug-ins turned off, I can turn them on for the foreground tab only rather than the browser as a whole. That way, when a background page refreshes, it won’t get to load its stupid flash ads.
But without a doubt, an add-on API would fix so many things, because we could just add the features ourselves.
well.. i’m referring to the actual Bookmarks menu at the top of the screen, and i don’t believe you are. i don’t know of any settings that will enable me to right click within that.
Sure dave, I always forget about the bookmark menu as I’m too much used to use the bookmark panel (and some folders + bookmarks on my personal bar). If I’d not use the panel I’d find it pretty uncomfortable to press SHIFT or SHIFT+CTRL to open the page in a new (background) panel and I wish this menu + toolbar bookmarks would be a bit more powerful (right click options, organizing by drag+drop – just like in the panel).
Please don’t confuse autocomplete with autofill/form filler, they are two completely seperate features.
Autofill or form filler basically allows one click form input on sites, however Opera already has limited functionaliy already on that feature, it doesn’t scan enough variations of form fields. Hopefully more variations will be scanned in the page so it does a better job.
Really Autocomplete is the one really missing in Opera, although the link/userjs best matches the autocomplete functionality in other browsers, however there is still a bit of work to do to emulate it more.
thank you
nice opera
Quoting ResearchWizard
Well we can do a lot of things using third part applications. But Opera is not just an internet browser is a complete internet suite. Anyway, its good that you have brought up oGet. This further illustrates the need for an API. Compare oGet or the option to change MIME settings to the one click install Flashgot extension. Fact is that people cant even integrate their download manager properly with Opera(a part from IDM users – which integrates itself perfectly with Opera). oget only works through context menu. And if you change the MIME settings you dont get the option to download with Opera on websites like rapidshare (which dont work with download managers).
Quoting ResearchWizard
Safari is now available for Windows users too. Try it’s activity monitor (Ctrl+Alt+A). You would understand what I want.
Opera’s download manager is enough for me. I’d wish automatic resuming of disrupted downloads on start up of Opera (or getting online again) but the rest of it is just fine for my needs.
Extensions are nothing else but 3rd party applications with the ability to hook into the UI. That’s about the same what ActiveX is for IE. I don’t like ActiveX (nor IE), and I like extensions are only in Firefox where I can shoot the whole browser with them (I did it multiple times) as it is not my first browser. I’m very careful with userJS in my stable Opera browser, but I neither broke my weeklies installation with lots of all stuff – and it’s just easy to have multiple installations of Opera even running the same time – it’s a pain in the ass with FF.
I think there always will be specialized applications doing special stuff just better than other ore general apps – and I hope Opera will not stop to be the specialized application for power surfing 🙂
For Safari’s activity monitor I think there might be some interesting things in the forthcoming info panel for you. Additionally I expect some more debugging capabilities with the WebDevTools – it’s just early alpha right now.
[…] have articulated my expectations from Opera in the past. Not so long ago I wrote Ten Things I Want to See in Opera 10. Here, I present to you a pruned down list of things I want to see in Opera. Prioritize page […]
Widgets is not quite the same thing as an API. By API I mean look at what IE, Maxthon or Fx allows you to do.
Widgets are nothing but normal web pages that can be displayed in a different custom designed window.
Addons are the most important thing. With Opera’s speed and Firefox like functionality, by introducing addons, I’m sure, Opera will meet great success.
But Opera wont ever introduce extensions or addons due to security issues. This was discussed many times in the communities and Operas stuff said that it wouldn’t happen because Opera has the reputation of a safe browser and any problems caught by extensions could ruin that reputation.
How about the Google Suggest like feature in Firefox? Opera has been missing out on that for a long time.