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Sound off! What are the top 3 missing things from the new Opera?

May 29, 2013 · by Haavard

The first build of the new Opera based on Chromium and Blink is finally available for download. This is not simply a port of the old Opera to a new engine. It is a completely new browser. The user interface was rewritten from scratch, and is now native on all platforms. Mac users in particular should notice that Opera 15 blends in far better with their OS than previous versions.

Of course, this is just the start. Opera 15 is the foundation we're going to build the future Opera on. This means that the basics need to be solid. Creating a new user interface from scratch is a huge task, so we had to focus on the basic browser for now. I know that many advanced users with specific needs and requirements, myself included, will probably have to use Opera 12 alongside the new Opera until more features have been implemented or reimplemented, so don't panic just yet. We're just getting started.

We've already been gathering feedback from the comments on the desktop team blog, but I thought that a more structured format might lead to data that's a bit easier to manage and interpret.

So here's the question:

What are the top 3 missing features from the new Opera?
When posting your response, please follow these simple rules:

  1. One list per person
  2. The list can contain only 3 items (don't "+1" other people's comments - if you support something someone else writes, show that by adding it to your own list)
  3. The list must be about the actual desktop browser (while people may identify problems with various processes or other Opera products, but those are not what I'm looking for)
  4. Keep the description brief (if you need to elaborate, link to an external page or image; if the description wraps to more than two lines, it's probably too long!)

Note: You can also post your feedback on Twitter if you don't have an Opera account. Use the tag "#top3" and send it as a reply to @opvard.

Readers' comments 100

Left under the original article, as archived; 15 pages of comments could not be recovered.

  • sirnh1Wednesday, May 29, 2013 9:38:18 PM

    1) Bookmarks
    2) Feed manager
    3) Site Preferences: I like to turn Javascript / Flash off on a global level and enabling it for specific sites like ... youtube

  • Martin KadlecWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:38:56 PM

    1. Bookmarks - I have hundreds of them, often 4 folders deep. I can't imagine how that would work in Speed Dial.

    2. UI Customization - Removing/Adding buttons most of all

    3. Sidebar/Panels - I really like sidebar, even "empty" sidebar would be useful as extensions could provide its content.

  • Josh JoyceWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:39:29 PM

    Customizable interface i.e. movable tabs
    Integrated mail
    No panels

  • RobbieWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:39:37 PM

    Middle click to close /Two button mouse gestures
    Recently closed button
    Edit appearance

  • JvvvWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:39:39 PM

    M2
    Notes
    Dragonfly

  • Izaak GoldsteinWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:39:43 PM

    1. Opera Dragonfly
    2. Opera Link
    3. bookmarks

  • Krissz5435Wednesday, May 29, 2013 9:40:22 PM

    Bookmark
    Recently Closed tab ikon on the top right
    UI customization (even speed dial)

  • МихаилWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:40:53 PM

    1) Bookmarks
    2) IRC
    3) RSS

  • ll3moWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:41:01 PM

    - Tab pinning.
    - Opera smooth scrolling.
    - Opera Link.

  • MatheusWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:44:07 PM

    1- MailClient/RSS Reader (M2)
    2- Opera Link (my Notes and Bookmarks have to be synced to be useful)
    3- The same UI Components (Side Panel, MDI...)

  • Thomas ScholzWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:44:33 PM

    1. Keyboard access like before (spatial navigation, customization).
    2. Bookmarks (complete: with keyboard shortcuts and searchable descriptions).
    3. Notes (with context menu for forms).

  • Spenser DavisonWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:44:39 PM

    1)M2
    2)Wand
    3)Ctrl-Enter to go to website

  • PatataWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:45:22 PM

    - M2
    - opera:config and all of its possibilities
    - customizable Interface & Search engines (go away fat and ugly Google search bar!)

  • Ayrton NadgelWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:45:33 PM

    1 - OperaLink
    2 - Private Tab
    3 - Password Manager

  • TeunWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:48:37 PM

    1 Smooth scrolling
    2 Password manager
    3 Bookmarks

  • Eser OzvatafWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:48:38 PM

    - m2 for rss/mail
    - x64bit version
    - private tabs

  • Christian WaldeWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:49:05 PM

    1. Wand
    2. UI Customization
    3. right-click + wheel scrolling

  • larsklWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:51:35 PM

    M2 (imap/pop/smtp)
    RSS
    UI Customizations

  • João DavidWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:54:50 PM

    1. Opera Link
    2. Sidebar panel.
    3. RSS feeds

  • igorWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:55:29 PM

    1) integrated Mail & RSS client
    2) bookmarks
    3) side panel

  • umbratorWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:55:56 PM

    1. RSS
    2. Bookmarks
    3. Custom search engines

  • LeeviWednesday, May 29, 2013 9:57:46 PM

    1. Bookmarks
    2. M2 & RSS
    3. old keyboard shortcuts

  • porneLWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:02:06 PM

    1. Wand (with cmd+enter login and non-fiddly account selection). I don't understand why all other browsers use lame IE-style password autofill with hidden doubleclick-on-field combo.

    2. http:// and query string in the address bar. You've had pretty smart solution with hiding protocol with safe/unsafe button. Now it's a primitive icon :sad: Also, it's not draggable any more.

    3. Per-site preferences and quick prefs to kill annoyances (JS/plugins/Referer).

    There's soooo much more.

  • ElDaniWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:02:21 PM

    1. Bookmarks (folder structure of several levels deep!)

    2. Tab customization (at least fixed-with, multi-row & removing the "x" to close a tab)

    3. Sidebar (at least the old bookmarks, downloads, history and info)

  • jpomeyrolWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:07:52 PM

    1. Side panel (with all options)
    2. Recent closed tabs button
    3. Custom options everywhere

  • PengeWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:10:25 PM

    1. Fully customizable interface with movable toolbars, editable toolbars, menus, shortcuts (even single-key), gestures, etc. I don't care INI or JSON, I want configurable interface, included with panel/sidebar with all panel items: bookmarks, notes, links, windows, and feeds/mails...

    2. MDI and advanced tab management.

    3. Built in UserJS+UserCSS support. I don't want +2 extensions for these simple function.

    ps: I don't care if advanced feature only accessible through configuration files (or opera:config) and no UI, I just want use these features somehow.

  • Erik HauboldWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:11:24 PM

    1. Mail
    (using one application for my internet needs is way simpler than switching windows, also most mails send links to pages, so everything stays in one place)
    2. Tabstacks
    (closing tabs just for management is _not_ an option, saving pages is way to complicated and currently it even doesent save as *.mht)
    3. Bookmarks + bookmark management (folders, shortcuts, ...)
    (i have loads of bookmarks and im getting way too confused after i only added some of them to the new opera)

  • szotsaki2Wednesday, May 29, 2013 10:11:26 PM

    1.) Able to remove of all GUI buttons (back, forward etc.)
    2.) Able to move the status bar next to the address bar
    3.) Shift + F2 quick jump

  • protion9Wednesday, May 29, 2013 10:11:32 PM

    1. RSS
    2. Bookmarks
    3. UI Costumization

  • Leon BWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:12:33 PM

    #1 - Unrestricted bookmarks.

    #2 - Toolbar customization and panels.

    #3 - Opera Turbo-based off-road. (See Yandex implementation).

  • DanielWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:16:42 PM

    1. Better tab management... CTRL+TAB, right click + mouse wheel, pin tab
    2. Custom searches (such as 'g')
    3. Better mouse gestures (70-80% of all my tries FAILS. That's a disaster.)

  • SavagemanWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:17:05 PM

    1. Ability to show tabs on the left
    2. Opera Link (includes: bookmarks, speed dial, passwords, typed history and search engines)
    3. F12 (quick site preferences)

  • CaseWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:19:11 PM

    1. Mouse "rocker gestures"
    2. Ctrl-Tab in recently used order
    3. Sidebar with (prefferably synced) notes

    Though it's very hard to pick just three right now.

  • lemieszekWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:19:38 PM

    1. Opera Link
    2. Tab stacking
    3. After a crash, opening previous tabs as they were before (not reload them). Particularly useful if you're searching inside web pages that need you to log in (current behaviour is to prompt you to login, instead of showing what you had before the crash like in O12).

  • egiraudyWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:21:36 PM

    - mouse gesture (mac)
    - tab pining
    - Opera Link (with sessions!)

    Overall what I am missing is all the "small" usability features that, from my point of view) differentiate Opera from other browsers (text selection, rich right click menu, spatial navigation, ...)

  • LeoCGWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:23:06 PM

    - Integrated M2
    - Custom Search
    - Link

  • Michael ReesWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:33:10 PM

    1. Single key shortcuts.
    2. Paste and go in address bar. (EDIT: through shortcut Ctrl-Shift-V)
    3. Left-click then right-click to go forwards, vice versa to go back.

  • JoohnnyWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:35:59 PM

    -mouse gestures
    -customizable interface
    -wand

  • EricJHWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:37:06 PM

    I am adding things not yet mentioned:
    Mouse flips
    Fast History Navigation
    Tab bevaviour from old Opera with choice of tab usage styles

  • Kq79Wednesday, May 29, 2013 10:39:37 PM

    - M2/RSS
    - Custom Search
    - Side panel

  • XenoAntaresWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:45:18 PM

    1/ Wand: Masterpassword protection, Ctrl-Enter support, import from legacy Opera.

    2/ UI customization: Custom search engines, keyboard shoertcuts, mouse gestures.

    3/ Sidebar/panel to be used with extensions / web pages / RSS-feeds / M2

  • PimWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:46:08 PM

    1. Closed tabs menu (with pages reopening in another tab, not in the current one).
    2. Tab previews (unique, underrated feature)
    3. Custom search engines (including search keys - y: youtube, w: wikipedia etc).

  • Harlekin MondWednesday, May 29, 2013 10:52:17 PM

    1. M2 integrated
    2. Custom search
    3. Reopen closed tabs (ctrl+z)

  • Rui CostaWednesday, May 29, 2013 11:03:13 PM

    1. RSS reader
    2. Sessions
    3. Wand

  • T-oastbro-TWednesday, May 29, 2013 11:03:55 PM

    1. Side-Panel for the Bookmarks/Notes/History etc.
    2. Custom Searches with keywords
    3. Interface-Customization (showing/hiding/positioning of toolbars and their elements, editable context-menu)

  • Thiago H. de Paula FigueiredoWednesday, May 29, 2013 11:04:06 PM

    1. M2 (integrated e-mail and RSS)
    2. Mouse gestures
    3. Bookmarks

  • cyxoviWednesday, May 29, 2013 11:07:34 PM

    1. Flexibility, Customizability: Give user more control options. It's not only the GUI (control panels, etc), but also the powerful INI text configurations: [Actions], user-defined hot key, [ini Variables] (small but unbeatable feature to operate task outside Opera); [keyboard shortcut], the [buttons], the [UserJS], [UserCSS], [Site Preference], Plugins, javascript control, history data, Fonts...

    2. Integrated Utilities: Clean, fast [RSS feed-reader]. [Dragonfly]. Simple but enough [Blocked Content]. [Turbo]. [Notes]. [Side Bar] with Links, Bookmarks...

    3. Performance, Enhancement Users' Experience: Opera can handle my 100-200 open tabs with ease --- Haavard (19/10/2012), responsive, smooth zooming, scrolling without lagging, Instant back navigation --- Haavard (19/10/2012), Fit to Width.

  • zhnujmWednesday, May 29, 2013 11:08:04 PM

    1. m2 integrated
    2. m2 integrated
    3. tab stacking

  • Steve HancockWednesday, May 29, 2013 11:08:30 PM

    1. Right click Field fill-in (forget official name)
    2. Bookmarks bar
    3. Opera Wand

  • Peter OpWednesday, May 29, 2013 11:10:31 PM

    1) Bookmarks
    2) Feeds
    3) Site Preferences: I like to turn Javascript / Flash off on a global level and enabling it for specific sites like ... youtube. Very important in terms of security

Pages: 12 Next »

About this article

Published inA Journal from Behind the Trenches
DateMay 29, 2013
AuthorHaavard
Tagstop3, sound off
OriginalInternet Archive

The Red O » Developers » Haavard » Sound off! What are the top 3 missing things from the new Opera?

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