Tatiana Lavrova
I’ve been using Opera as my go-to browser for about a year now and find it to be a combination of everything I find positive in a web browser and the experience leaves me feeling a little down.
You may find yourself thinking, “Aren’t all web browsers created equal?” Or maybe, “I’m fine with what I have.” it’s awesome. If the browser you’re using suits you, I say, “Continue.” But if you haven’t given Opera a chance, you’re missing out.
I’d like to offer a few reasons why Opera quickly became my default browser on each of my operating systems (Linux, MacOS, and Android).
Are you ready for it?
1. Unbeatable tab management
You may think your browser manages tabs well but I can guarantee it’s not as good as what you’ll find in Opera. Opera uses a feature called workspaces, which allows you to create individual workspaces for each category you need.
For example, I have Writing, Shopping, Social, and Work and only open tabs related to those topics in each workspace. Other browsers (like Safari and Vivaldi) offer a similar feature, but Opera takes it a step further by allowing you to pin tabs to specific workspaces. With this feature, I can open ten or more tabs in each category and I don’t feel like my browser is so full of tabs that it’s impossible to work effectively.
As for Chrome, what Google’s browser offers doesn’t even come close. With Chrome you can create individual groups but those groups crowd the tab bar with no way to select them individually. With Opera, I can create a workspace called “WORK”, switch to it, and see only the tabs that are associated with that workspace. With Chrome, you have to save a group, manually hide it, and then manually reopen it. On top of that, you can’t specify which tab group you hide. It is not effective.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
2. Sidebar
I honestly never thought I’d bother with a browser sidebar but Opera convinced me otherwise. Opera’s tech on the sidebar is divided into three sections: Workspace at the top, Apps in the center, and Opera Tools at the bottom. Not only does the sidebar give me quick access to my workspace, it also allows me to add specific apps that I use frequently, such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, etc. As for the Opera Tools section, this has also become a feature I rely on daily, as it allows me to view my downloads, personal news, pinboards, history, etc. If you try Opera, don’t ignore the sidebar.
3. Aria AI
This is an interesting topic for many, but as I’ve written before, I’ve found Opera’s built-in AI, called Aria, incredibly helpful. I use it as a supercharged search tool that bypasses all the sponsored articles that bubble up to the top of Google results. I only use this tool when researching, but I do a lot of research (especially when writing fiction).
And although Opera allows you to quickly access the ChatGPT service, I’ve found Aria to be more efficient for my needs. Even better, Aria lives in the Opera sidebar, so when you click the icon, it opens as a slide-out window, where you can quickly run a query and the results without opening another tab. can read
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
4. Mobile version
As soon as I realized how customizable it is. This enables me to create a very minimalistic browser, with the address bar at the bottom of the screen, so it’s not only easy on the eyes but very efficient to use. That alone was good enough that I’m switching.
The only thing missing from the mobile version of Opera is workspaces, but then again I don’t use it as much as the desktop version, so the workspaces feature isn’t really necessary. Even without it, Opera makes managing tabs on a mobile device very easy. And with the built-in VPN, I feel more secure using Opera Mobile outside of my home network.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
5. Appearance
For some it might not matter, but I cut my teeth on the Linux desktop, where I would spend hours fine-tuning the UI to get it just the way I wanted it. While aesthetics won’t make your experience more efficient or effective, it can make it more enjoyable. I find most other browsers to be dull and lifeless, whereas Opera has a much more modern aesthetic that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also organized so that each feature is located in a specific part of the browser (such as the sidebar, workspace, address bar, tabs, extension “island”).
I know this is a very personal opinion but I feel at home when I use Opera. When I switch to another browser I feel like something is wrong. Firefox falls short, Vivaldi tries to be Opera but falls short, and Chrome has come a long way but hasn’t done much to appeal to anyone who wants to work. A highly efficient and effective environment is required.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Opera isn’t perfect (no browser is), but it’s definitely proven to me that (at the moment) it’s my go-to browser. I can’t imagine that another browser will replace it, but I’m about to dive into the world of Microsoft Edge, so we’ll see if I switch to another web browser. Until that day comes, I’ll happily (and effectively) work with Opera.
Credit : www.zdnet.com
