Experiment: Try Opera for one week

March 8, 2010 · by Espen André Øverdahl

Vladimir Carrer, a Web designer and developer from Italy, is taking on a challenge to use Opera 10.50 as his primary browser for a week. He's a passionate Firefox user, but he has put himself up for a browser challenge:

Originally posted by Vladimir Carrer:

"Why I’m doing this experiment?

Probably because I want to try to survive one week without Firefox and the second thing I meet two Opera team members last year on one Web conference (Molly and David) who ensure me that Opera is going in right direction.

The experiment is use Opera 10.50 for one week like your primary browser. In this week try to find all good and bad stuff about Opera. Than is up to you if you continue with Opera or not.

Are you willing to try this experiment with me?"

Readers' comments 28

Left under the original article, as archived.

Tri M. NguyenMonday, March 8, 2010 2:54:06 PM
Way to go!
Stefan SchacherlMonday, March 8, 2010 3:26:49 PM
I did that experiment some times ago (Opera 9.6).. That was that time my internet experience had totally changed
Charles SchlossMonday, March 8, 2010 3:34:59 PM
Pasquale FraccalvieriMonday, March 8, 2010 3:43:19 PM
I did this experiment alone few months ago .... and since then I'm still doing it!! Opera FTW!
Dustin WilsonMonday, March 8, 2010 4:11:05 PM
Hope he leaves the experiment either an Opera user or at least a more truthful and better opinion of Opera. Being an ass I read through his document thoroughly, and one bit really sort of raised a red flag for me.

In early days Opera had big issues with compatibility and standard. If I hate some browser more than IE6 it will probably be Opera 7.

I found this bit interesting because Opera 7's release predates most people's uses of alternate browsers. Firefox didn't exist (although very early and extremely unstable releases of Phoenix were out prior) and Safari was only just announced with a beta release a couple of weeks prior to 7's final. Even following web standards back then there really wasn't any reliable rendering of semi-complex CSS like there is today, and there wasn't any consistency between browsers. None of the browsers back then rendered much of anything perfectly, so to claim that Opera 7 had shitty support for web standards then would be quite folly.

EDIT: Funnily enough I looked at my clock and noticed what day it was, and precisely 7 years ago I started using Opera. I didn't tell IE to take a hike until the 15th, but my experiment began on the 8th.
TamilMonday, March 8, 2010 4:26:29 PM
http://files.myopera.com/Tamil/Smilies/Good.gif -
pakde-hardjo-soegih-artoMonday, March 8, 2010 4:48:21 PM
opera ♥♥ ☺
LucaMonday, March 8, 2010 5:29:50 PM
It always been my primary browser
ZeromusMonday, March 8, 2010 5:52:35 PM
Opera FTW... You will love it!
jasssonpetMonday, March 8, 2010 8:05:02 PM
One week is too much, you will love it in few hours
L2D2Monday, March 8, 2010 8:29:20 PM
Hope he makes it default browser for those weeks, and gives it a fair trial. http://files.myopera.com/L2D2/STUFF/Smilies//likeopera_girl.gif -
L2D2Monday, March 8, 2010 8:30:27 PM
Now, if 10.50 will produce it's Linux version and fix whatever is wrong with flash and Java in the Linux version.....
techlawsamMonday, March 8, 2010 9:21:58 PM
Kao DomeMonday, March 8, 2010 10:16:34 PM
I've tried it for about 2 hours and the only reaction possible is that it's awesome.

And now that Qt is not a dependency more people will start using it (talking about Gnome users for example).

But, unfortunately I must say I will stay with Firefox / Chrome by now. The reason is quite simple, passwords. Both Firefox and Chrome provide a way to see which passwords you have saved, and Firefox even supports Xmarks fully (password syncing more precisely).

I use several machines with several OSs involved and password & bookmark syncing is compulsory. I know Opera Link is able to sync bookmarks, but that's not enough.

If any of you is worried about security regarding sending your passwords to a server outside your control, cryptography is the solution. Just encrypting the passwords on client side (before sending them to the cloud) would give you security.

Until Opera has any way to sync passwords, I'll stay out of it.
d4rkn1ghtMonday, March 8, 2010 10:24:13 PM
Daniel HendrycksMonday, March 8, 2010 10:38:06 PM
L2D2Monday, March 8, 2010 11:33:24 PM
Originally posted by KaoDome:

Until Opera has any way to sync passwords, I'll stay out of it.

Why don't you put that in Opera wishlist forum? Opera is always looking for ways to improve. Maybe that function isn't there because not enough people have asked for it.
Kao DomeTuesday, March 9, 2010 12:49:01 AM
Originally posted by L2D2:

Why don't you put that in Opera wishlist forum? Opera is always looking for ways to improve. Maybe that function isn't there because not enough people have asked for it.

Sure, it's already there so I'll give my 2 cents .

The way I wrote that last sentence seems... fatalistic :S It's not like I'm away away, it's that I'm in the need of something like that for my daily routine, but I keep recommending and installing Opera for all my friends

I hope we get something similar (maybe in Link).

Best regards!
Sam MentzerTuesday, March 9, 2010 6:40:04 AM
me I think it is a bunch of bull the site says the fasts browser but fire fox and Google chrome moves fast than it does on slow internet connections and the so called turbo fuction does not work have the time either work it with a great deal of improvement on slow speed internet or throw it in the trash and start new any way like somebody is going to read this and pay attention
zufoTuesday, March 9, 2010 8:53:24 AM
Ok, let's try
Nwauzor BertrandTuesday, March 9, 2010 9:52:13 AM
have been using opera for weeks age i love u all
Monin MichelTuesday, March 9, 2010 1:32:06 PM
I tried Opera since 9.6 release and never leave it.
The 10.50 release is fabulous, especially on a PC running Windows 7.
One of the best feature is Opera link witch allows me to use all Opera features (Bookmarks, My Opera) on my Smartphone (A Sony-Ericson running Java) where I have installed Opera mini 5 Beta.
I also use wearable version of Opera on a USB key everywhere I am.
Opera is now my primary browser.
Jeffrey GentryWednesday, March 10, 2010 5:57:59 AM
im trying out opera over firefox i use firefox with windows vista and its very slow and crashes non stop. I can never get firefox to work
Charles SchlossWednesday, March 10, 2010 6:16:51 AM
In ff it could be old add ons, or plug ins , or even malware on your pc
Jeffrey GentryWednesday, March 10, 2010 6:37:38 AM
i dont use any plug in or add ons ff hasnt worked good since it downloaded it takes up to 3 min to load a page sometimes even longer then half the time it says not responding
Charles SchlossWednesday, March 10, 2010 6:44:56 AM
Jeffrey Gentry you might be able to get hep here:

http://my.opera.com/community/forums/forum.dml?id=43

As the post here is not the best place
JaredWednesday, March 10, 2010 9:24:52 AM
STAY !!
AnuaR ShWednesday, April 28, 2010 4:30:18 AM
So where are the results of this experiment?