A list of the most significant innovative features in the Opera browser. Features must have been unique for Opera (amongst web browsers) at some point to be listed.
Listed features should preferably include which year the feature was introduced in Opera, in which version and a short description. Things like "paste and go" are obviously no innovations.
Browsing many pages in one single window. This was one of the core features of the first version of Opera.
Multi-page, or tabbed browsing has become all the rage; with everyone and their pet Chihuahua getting in on the act.
Caching of pages and certain media in RAM instead of caching everything on disk.
Copied by NoTrax?.
Proportional full page scaling from 20% to 1000%.
Copied by an IE shell, Maxthon.
Allows the user to save, open and insert sessions. A session includes the adress to all pages, the position of all windows, and how much the user have scrolled on the pages. Opera can autosave sessions and automatically restore them when starting Opera next time (even from a crash).
Copied by a Firefox extension and an IE shell(?).
Now built in to Firefox's core.
Aliases for search pages or bookmarks. E.g. "g icecream" to search on Google for Icecream.
UserCSS allows the user to manipulate the style of web pages by applying their own style sheets on top of the pages style. This is very useful for improving accessability, filtering content (ads), fixing broken web pages and for web developers.
Unknown if/when this feature was copied.
Handy tool used to easy delete private data of certain types (history, cookies, cache, ... ).
Duplicated in at least Firefox and a bunch of Internet Explorer shells.
Control your browser through mouse movements.
Nowadays available as extensions in Firefox and in Internet Explorer shells like Avant Browser.
Easily search Google or other search engines via a field in the browser interface.
Copied by most browsers including lots of browser extensions like Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer.
Block annoying Pop-up windows.
Improvements were made in Opera 6 and 7.
Displaying WWW sites on small screens in handheld devices.
In desktop version of Opera available since Opera 7.0.
Fast Forward will detect the most likely "next page" link and greatly simplify navigation in multi-page documents.
Now available as an Firefox extension.
Allows SHIFT+arrow keys to move the focus of links depending on their spatial position not the page structure. A great feature for navigating a page.
Firefox developers and evangelists have finally got round to realising its value, and seem rather excited over it.
Ability to fit a web page to browser window width and remove horizontal scrollbars.
Talk to your browser to navigate pages. A great feature for people with disabilities. Opera can also speak back the content of pages.
UserJS is a powerful feature allowing infinite possibilities to change the content of webpages. Though the creation of javascripts must be done by power users, installation of UserJS scripts is painless for normal users.
Actually, the GreaseMonkey plug-in existed for Firefox before UserJS was "publically" implemented in Opera (though the mechanism was there), but Opera's implementation was thought of independently. It is also more powerful and tightly integrated to Opera's core engine.
Browser JavaScript is a feature that allows Opera to automatically fix incompatible Web pages, out of date scripts, and pages that inadvertently block Opera. The script file is automatically distributed by Opera Software ASA, and can be used to apply fixes to specific Web sites, and specific scripts.
Browser JavaScript respects your JavaScript preferences, and will not be loaded if JavaScript is disabled.
Operas became the first web browser to handle a peer-to-peer protocol when Opera 9 was released with built-in support for BitTorrent files. This is a logical addition to a browser which already supports HTTP and FTP downloads.
A platform for running widgets - small, chromeless programs - is included in Opera. This builds on its support for AJAX technologies.
A blank start page with a preview of preconfigured websites often visited
great job Jakub81!
MiNiSu (2005-10-07 02:39:03)
Anyone know about custom searches?
MiNiSu (2005-10-11 15:54:10)
The RAM cache was in 5.12, which was the first version I used. However, I used NS 4.78 to download it, and it also had a memory cache, so I have no idea who had it first.
DavidHarden (2005-10-16 18:03:56)
Thanks a lot for this list. It makes for a great reference!
It helps me convince people that Firefox did not re-invent the web.
80.136.241.118 (2006-02-04 14:22:30)
It should be mentioned that although Bittorent support was added in 8.02 TP, it was since removed and will likely be in version 9.
Also, there is no mention of the filters in Opera. Was this not an Opera innovation? I certainly thought it was.
198.111.39.17 (2006-03-05 22:03:09)
Hmm, I'm wondering what does mean that UserJS is more powerfull than GreaseMonkey... To be honest, I find GreaseMonkey way more powerfull (saw platypus?)
66.124.230.46 (2006-04-19 12:05:10)
What is the source of information that MultiTorg Opera had history caching in RAM (as the first browser)?
Jakub81 (2006-05-14 04:25:11)
comment3,
198.203.81.19 (2008-05-12 12:21:12)
comment4,
198.203.81.19 (2008-05-12 12:21:13)
comment2,
198.203.81.19 (2008-05-12 12:21:15)
comment6,
72.55.160.180 (2008-05-12 14:07:14)
comment6,
72.55.160.180 (2008-05-12 14:07:30)
comment3,
61.155.41.165 (2008-05-12 14:07:34)
comment4,
198.203.81.19 (2008-05-13 13:16:49)
comment5,
198.203.81.19 (2008-05-13 13:16:50)
comment6,
198.203.81.19 (2008-05-13 13:16:52)
comment3,
61.155.41.165 (2008-05-14 02:16:23)
comment1,
61.155.41.165 (2008-05-14 02:16:26)
comment4,
61.155.41.165 (2008-05-14 02:16:29)
comment1,
219.0.34.156 (2008-05-16 07:29:09)
nGv4oX
83.80.80.206 (2008-05-17 04:39:56)
sweet site thx
203.162.2.136 (2008-05-19 15:22:27)
good site dude
216.1.6.2 (2008-05-19 17:45:06)
tickets_3.txt;2;2
59.92.141.195 (2008-06-04 23:22:40)
tickets_4.txt;2;2
192.160.184.75 (2008-06-05 02:46:52)
tickets_5.txt;2;2
80.228.117.145 (2008-06-05 05:56:07)
aRhSp3 hi! hice site!
130.206.33.22 (2008-07-27 08:27:41)
AmBhOy? hi! hice site!
190.245.49.160 (2008-07-27 13:53:05)
vI0SeL hi! hice site!
201.202.200.18 (2008-07-28 18:19:54)
tqBQH4 hi! hice site!
62.12.138.134 (2008-07-28 21:43:40)
zpeROm hi! hice site!
89.204.111.45 (2008-07-29 14:04:12)
b8dwcJ spam_15.txt;5;10
205.234.200.220 (2008-09-06 17:04:44)
bEjQ2C spam_31.txt;5;10
202.75.35.210 (2008-09-06 18:04:56)
wow...
I really like opera... :)
Shahab
www.minadev.com
78.158.166.141 (2008-09-27 17:39:10)
wow...
I really like opera... :)
Shahab
78.158.166.141 (2008-09-27 17:39:38)
Opera is a great browser. I think the person responsible for this page should add under the "Speed Dial" section that the Google Chrome team is making too much of a noise about the "original" idea of making a fresh tab display previews of one's favorite pages and a search box. They are hijacking an idea _two solid years_ after it was implemented in Opera.
83.147.196.31 (2008-10-01 07:05:06)
nice site dude
222.70.115.72 (2008-10-19 06:39:26)
I think these features should be added to the list:
"RSS feed reader"
"Speed Dial"
"synchronization"
"page preview thumbnail"
"closed tab bin"
117.47.35.186 (2009-04-05 23:16:25)
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94.102.49.213 (2009-07-28 00:13:55)
"Voice navigation
Talk to your browser to navigate pages. A great feature for people with disabilities. Opera can also speak back the content of pages."
Incorrect. IBM Web Explorer (on OS/2) in 1993 (give or take a year). Navigate pages, navigate to a page, or have a page read to you with versions integrated with ScreenReader?/2.
24.46.227.32 (2010-05-18 20:23:55)
Resource(s)
Research Papers
Writing Services
TerrieCarrara (2010-08-22 22:34:13)
I decided to move the comments/discussion to Comments.
Jakub81 (2005-10-06 16:51:58)