Review Opera 15: new design, functions and Blink under the hood

Honestly, I'm always with great interest and respect followed the development of the Opera browser. I like the courage, I would even say the audacity with which the developers first introduced in each version of the new features and technology program. And let some of their findings, they say "do not fly", but others have become the standard for all other browsers. Therefore, each new Opera release is of interest not only for its loyal users, but also the entire computer community. What is really there to talk about the transition to the WebKit engine, this is not just another version of a completely new browser!

Well, I wonder?

Interface

Appearance Opera made in the classic way for modern browsers: the tab bar on top, with the main button Program logo to access the main functions and address bar into a full-length windows, combined with a string Search.

Immediately after the start, you will meet the express panel on which the tiles are displayed in the form of your favorite sites. Details of its functions will be discussed below, and now we only note that the startup screen has three tabs: the actual

Speed ​​Dial, A new tool called Piggy bank and built-in news reader.

Execution of the program can be changed using the. To do this, click in the Express-panel, right-click and select change theme. Currently represented by five different topics, but do not doubt that in the future this list will be updated. Please note that when applying a new theme changes appearance only official browser pages (start screen, settings, downloads), but did not design the toolbar and browser tabs.

settings

browser settings a bit reminiscent of the relevant section of Chrome, but are decorated in accordance with the chosen theme. Any additional items in the configuration is not observed, but the losses compared to a lot of Chrome. One can understand that the extensions page and stories handed down outside the settings, but where are the possible search service management? By default, Opera is looking for addresses and Yandex from Express panel to Google from the line, but if you want to change this set, then you will not succeed. No synchronization. You can not change fonts. Maybe it's just gaps and they will be corrected, or maybe not.

expansion

Despite the fact that the browser is based on the Chromium code, appropriate extensions can not be established, so that all the Chrome Web Store wealth remains behind. But there are already the first signs in the company store Opera extensions are compatible with the new version of the browser. Anyway, so essential AdBlock and LastPass install and operate perfectly.

I am sure that this is done not because of technical problems, but because of marketing considerations and copyrighted. Surely, for compatibility with Opera developers need to fix in its expansion only a couple of lines of code, so that the problems with filling the catalog supplements should not be in the future.

bookmarks

Opera started another revolution and decided to cut it out all bookmarks, how we used to see, from your browser. Instead, we now propose to use Speed ​​Dial, the elements of which it became possible to group folders. In addition, a new feature called Piggy bank.

The easiest way to describe it as a page for temporary links. If you read the article, and then want to return to it later, then one click, you can put it in your piggy bank. Thus, instead of the usual tabs in Opera has a section for favorite links (Speed ​​Dial) And a section of temporary links (Piggy bank). But everything else is easier to find in the search engines than poking around in hundreds of links, trying to remember in any subfolder retained the desired site. This is a controversial and bold decision.

downloading

At the beginning of loading of an icon and a pop-up window appears at the top of your browser that allows you to monitor the injection process and suspend it if necessary. For completed downloads pause button changes to the button to open the file. It is very convenient and does not take up much space, as downloads bar in Chrome.

Mail and RSS

The Opera browser has always presented himself as a sort of universal tool, which has everything you might need a user. Now the creators of the program have realized that e-mail client in an age of total superiority Gmail It turns into atavism and remove it from the program, apparently, that the process of his death did not spoil the impression from the browser.

As for the RSS, the Opera decided that allows user to choose what to read - it's too great a luxury nowadays. Now everyone will read only the approved list of developers News. Thus, excellent technology to collect and use the information you need to become a normal, stuffed with newspaper nonsense. Sadly, gentlemen ...

Speed, resources, compatibility

In the new release, Opera is not just a transition occurred on the WebKit engine, but more than that, it used the most recent updated version of Blink. All this suggests that at least the browser will not give in to speed the fastest browsers. In my opinion it really is. Compatibility issues with various sites and modern technology also should not be, let's hope that Opera eternal problems remained far in the past. And yet there is beloved by many Opera Turbo feature, which helps owners of slow connections.

conclusions

I know that you read this entire long text only because, to get an answer to the question - so is it worth to download the new Opera, or not? Therefore, I will answer the question: swing necessarily. The product received mixed, but very interesting. Keep in mind that this is a preliminary version, which will gradually be filled with new and missing functions, so in the near future around this browser will be a lot of news, do not bored. But to use Opera Next for everyday surfing is perhaps a bit early. While this is a very interesting concept, but not a product for everyday use. So we will wait for further development.

And Opera impression made on you?

Download Opera 15