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- Browsers
-- Opera Browser Usage and Support
---- Opera 10.5beta Released - Back on Top as Fastest Browser
kaled - 1:14 pm on Feb 15, 2010 (gmt 0)
Mitchman,
Since Opera has such a small user base, logically, you should be working to attract new users (from other browsers) therefore you should...
Use the most familiar-looking user interface that you can - hiding the menu-bar by default is therefore nuts.
Include common extensions, such as Flashblock, by default.
Make it easier to find, install, enable and disable such extensions. To install flashblock, I had to
1) Find the right file with Google.
2) Find Preferences\Advanced\Content\JavascriptOptions to choose a location to store user-javascript.
3) Save the file to this directory and restart Opera.
Compare that with Firefox - it's pitiful.
Also, I couldn't figure out how to install a UK-English dictionary. Considering that a US-English dictionary is installed by default, I found it odd that I couldn't change the language easily. Surely, this should adjustable under the Preferences.
Returning to apearance...
The tab-bar and navigation bars are too high and therefore waste space.
The highlighting of navigation buttons (when the mouse is over them) is too subtle. Also, these icons should be colorful.
The highlighting of tabs is ugly and far too bold.
The search bar is too high and wastes space. Also, placing it at the top rather than the bottom is annoying because is creates unnecessary screen movement. Also, it needs options for highlight all and whole words only.
All popup bars should be placed at the bottom. If important, they can be subtly flashed to attract user attention.
The Closed-tabs icon should be on the left of the tabs bar with other navigation tools.
You should maybe look again at javascript message boxes - greying out the window is done too strongly in my opinion. However, it's a good idea as is giving the option to stop running javascript on the page.
Incidentally, providing the option of installing Opera on a portable drive would a good idea and should be straightforward.
Kaled.
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