- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 74 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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13 out of 14 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"The Best Browser, period!"
Pros: Fit to width; mouse gestures; rewind; keyboard shortcuts; whole-page zoom
Cons: a small number of sites don't work right
Summary: Opera has been my main browser since Windows 3.1 days. It continues to be my main browser in both Windows and Linux. Opera's built-in e-mail client is my program of choice in both Windows and Linux. In fact, I use the exact same e-mail files in both OSes on my dual-boot computers, which makes for tremendous convenience and flexibility in doing e-mail no matter what OS I'm using.
Opera is loaded with features. Even after all these years, I learn about new ones. I use Firefox in Linux and it's a fine browser, but it lacks features Opera has. Example: Fit to Width. This fabulous feature eliminates that super-annoying horizontal scrolling that happens on some Web pages. Can't do without it!
Example: zoom both text and graphics up and down and do it with the keyboard (0 goes up by 10%, 9 goes down by 10%, 6 returns to the default 100%).
Example: rewind. You don't have to go back page by page; you can return to the start of the domain. Contrary to the review, you can left-click back to previous pages. Just hold down the left mouse button on the Back icon.
Example: Easily customize just about everything on screen through a simple menu in Tools, Preferences. This includes the typeface and size of the menu bar, text appearing on screen, dialog boxes, etc.
Example: do just about anything from the keyboard and use any of several keyboard shortcuts for several tasks.
The CNet review is incorrect about the availability of legal BitTorrents. An increasing number of large Linux open-source downloads are available as Torrents. Even with a broadband connection, a Torrent can be considerably faster than a regular broadband download.
In fairness to your readers, who may read the review but not the comments, you should correct the mistake about not having a choice of previous pages with the Back button and you should revise the section on the BitTorrent client in Opera.
