They say that the opera isn’t over until the fat lady sings, and Opera Software is just starting to play “Flight of the Valkyries” with the launch of its latest desktop browser. Opera Next is available for download to Windows and Macintosh computers, with a new look and improved browsing experience.
The new version of Opera has been designed from the ground up, providing a redesigned “Speed Dial” start page, providing organized folders of webpages. Like with Chrome, the starting bar can be used to make searches as well as enter Web addresses, but it also offers new features.
Those familiar with Opera’s Android browser may have used Opera’s “Discover,” a recommendation system that finds content based on the users’ preferences. That’s now available in Opera Now, taking user location and preset categories to find pages and content that are relevant to their interests.
Furthermore, Opera Next is introducing the “Stash” feature. This allows users to pin individual websites and items to be pulled up when needed, providing quick references or improved bookmark capabilities.
But Opera Next’s improvements go beyond that. It now runs on Chromium, providing a high performance browser that’s compliant with all current standards. Opera has given up its Presto Rendering engine in exchange for WebKit and Blink, which may prove a plus to new users. Its “off-road” mode also supports the SPDY protocol, so it can load web pages faster than before.
While it may not get the same attention as others, Opera is still a popular and efficient browser. This new edition may be what it needs to help propel it towards the competition, although it currently has the smallest market share of the top five desktop browsers. Its user base is quite large nonetheless, with over 300 million users on mobile and desktop devices, and they are likely to enjoy the new features and improved performance that Opera Next provides. The curtain is rising for the next act, and this Opera hits all the high notes.
Edited by
Alisen Downey 
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