are these things possible in the new Opera blink? (I wanna keep believing in O)

geraldstark

geraldstark

Hi. I'm mostly a lurker, I haven't posted a lot in the forums , but I read a lot, since the ol' good times... I'm not here to hate on the new Opera, in fact I have come to accept Presto's demise (although I've cried a lot about it...XD). In fact I'm still using it (12.17), but lately I've started to use Firefox (compatibility issues and stuff, but I'm not quite happy with it). I miss Opera presto UI and functionality (i.e. custom skins and buttons). I've already given up M2, and other features that are not coming back, but my question is: Is it possible to implement the following things in the new Opera ?

*Custom Skins (I mean Themes) and Buttons
*Size of the Bars (tab,address, add-on)
*Tile tabs
*Side Bar
*custom search engine

This is not a hate thread... I just wanna know if these things are possible to be developed within the new engine. Like I said, I wanna keep believing in Opera. In fact I'm writing this from my O21! I think it's fast, straightforward... But it's like driving a really fast but ugly car (with no AC or comfortable seats).

regards!

lem729

lem729

This thread is very duplicative, so you might want to research the forums before posting something so general.

Here's something I posted on improvements with Opera 20 (Opera Blink), including greater speed, the ability to access far more sites, the Discover feature (a la a huge RSS news feed in multiple languages and for multiple countries), Off-Road mode, for people with limited wifi, dial up modems, limited computer resources, and more.

https://forums.opera.com/post/35615

In addition to the above, the new Opera offers, a huge increase in the ability to use extensions to customize. Yes the old Opera Presto had customization features built in (but everyone was stuck with the features (and the effect on the browser), whether they wanted the features or not. The new Opera blink leaves it to the user to add the features he or she wants, including practically ANY EXTENSION in the Chrome store, as well as ALL the extensions in the Opera add-on store for Opera 21.

I find this new browser not at all an "ugly car," as you, I must say, at least in my view, so inaptly describe it. I think with the Speed Dial, and the folders you can create in it (as well as the custom backgrounds), it can be quite gorgeous. In Opera if you drag one speed dial thumbnail over another you have a folder of two for one position on the dial. And you can keep dragging and end up with a folder of 10 or more for ever position. I don't know if there's a limit. Also Opera's speed dial keeps going down (with a scrolling bar set up on the right, after a full page. And the backgrounds if you are artistic in what you select, can be wonderful. You go to an Opera Website to get themes, or use themes already in your computer, OR just right click on any jpg you like on the internet when you're browsing and instantly turn it into a theme for the Opera speed dial. Now my bias is not to use the Speed Dial in a way that impairs the art of the wallpaper, but rather just to show off your favorite bookmarks -- the ones you go to most-off. 70-100 can take up only 1/2 a page of space, unlike the old Speed Dial, where you could only show maybe 16 or 20 links, and when you do that you fill a page, undermining the art of the wallpaper.

You're right about Opera 21 being fast though. It's varoooom, faster than . . . why, a speeding bullet Here's a link to speed tests where Opera 17 (at the time of the test) is deemed, a "browser to be reckoned with outperforming Internet Explorer 11, Firefox 25, and Safari 5 in our tests. Opera 17 came top in 3 out of our 15 tests, and runner up in 6. The browser also secured highly on HTML5/CSS3 compliance and in our aggregated Javascript performance tests . . ." (Of course, we are now at Opera 21 as the last stable version).

They also noted that if you keep the browser open a lot, Opera Blink is the best choice because "initial page loads are the quickest of all the browsers tested."

http://www.slideshare.net/MID_AS/browser-performance-tests

geraldstark

geraldstark

Thanks for the quick response. Maybe I wasn't specific enough when I described how I feel regarding O blink. I think it's a fine piece of work... It actually works with the majority of webpages (if not all of'em), unlike O Presto. I quite like some of its features (discover, speed dial) , and yes, I've tried extensions, both from the opera store and chrome store.

My question is whether in Blink there are certain features that can or can't be restored (I mean, theoretically, regardless of the devs' decision), so as to keep hoping it'll turn out the be THE best browser out there (most of presto functions plus blink speed and compatibility). Is it possible to develop in Blink features like *Custom Skins (I mean Themes) and Buttons **Size of the Bars (tab,address, add-on) **Tile tabs **Side Bar **custom search engine... Thanks!

lem729

lem729

@geraldstark

Haaa, I was hard at work on the specifics you wanted, and you out-posted me by a few minutes.

At first blush, I missed a few of your concerns as I was focused on explaining some general positives of Opera Blink, so sorry there. First, you asked if it was "possible to develop certain things" in Blink. I'm not an expert on Blink, or the art of programming a browser so can't say whether is or is not -- from a programming perspective -- possible to do the things you ask. (Aside: even if it is possible, would it be financially feasible or prohibitive, or maybe a thought -- might it run counter to what I see to be the general thrust of the new Opera, in letting customization come via extension). It's a mix of a number of issues. What's possible may or may not be financially feasible, or consistent with the policy of keeping the browser minimalist, and achieving customization via extensions.

I can try to address what is currently, as I see it in Opera 21, the situation. You asked about custom Skins (themes). You can't do it, the way you have in mind. But you can change the theme of the Speed Dial page, as I discussed in my initial post, in ways that are quite artistic. On buttons, that's not a feature of the new Opera, except to the extent there's an extension, that covers an area, and then the icon on the icon bar (to the right of the Opera Address Bar) is like a button. For example, if you want to have a better ability to deal with closed tabs, then Sexy Undo Close Tab (from the Chrome Store)
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/sexy-undo-close-tab/bcennaiejdjpomgmmohhpgnjlmpcjmbg
gives you an icon that performs the roll of a button to get you right into your choices and potential actions.

You asked about "*Size of the Bars (tab,address, add-on)." You can't adjust the size of these within Opera itself. But if you have Windows 7, you can use the Personalization feature to accomplish a good deal of that. Here's a thread that in its totality discusses some of the possibilities there. https://forums.opera.com/topic/2661/version-20-21-increase-tab-text-font-size/1 I'm not knowledgeable on whether other operating systems -- Windows 8, the Mac, Linux, etc., give you similar customization ability to change the size of the features.

You asked about tile tabs. Not sure exactly what you mean there. You certainly can, if you use a lot of tabs, organize them in rows/columns within an extension, like for instance, TooManyTabs for Chrome. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/toomanytabs-for-chrome/amigcgbheognjmfkaieeeadojiibgbdp

As I mentioned, You can download pretty much ANY Chrome extension, as long as you have the Opera extension, called Download Chrome Extension.
https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/download-chrome-extension-9/?display=en
You asked about a sidebar. There are some Chrome extensions that can give you that, but they are in a more preliminary type mode, maybe need some work. However, in terms of possibility, I think sidebars are being seriously worked on. In that regard, you might enjoy taking a look at Sidewise Tree Style Tabs
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/sidewise-tree-style-tabs/biiammgklaefagjclmnlialkmaemifgo?hl=en-US
or Tab Sidebar. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tab-sidebar/egmcoemabahnkbkfgdifiafkhebcfpfo?hl=en-US

On custom search engines, here's a post of mine from a thread that might give you some ideas on possibilities.

https://forums.opera.com/topic/2473/default-search-engine/3

stng

stng

@geraldstark

. I miss Opera presto UI and functionality (i.e. custom skins and buttons). I've already given up M2, and other features that are not coming back, but my question is: Is it possible to implement the following things in the new Opera ? Custom Skins (I mean Themes) and Buttons *Size of the Bars (tab,address, add-on) *Tile tabs *Side Bar *custom search engine

Forget about it. These features are "too geeky" to be implemented. Details: http://i.imgur.com/fDSjYZq.png

An average mainstream users never customizes UI of their browsers.

New Opera won't be oriented for users who prefer customizability and other "geek" OVERcomplicated stuff such as bookmark manager, customizable UI etc.

samkook

samkook

I'm not an expert on the blink engine either, but I think button, themes(maybe not as advanced as O presto though) and the rest you mentioned should be theoretically possible or at least I can't think of a reason that would prevent adding them.

The reason blink couldn't work with the old UI is that its foundation was completely different than anything else(MDI vs SDI) so the new engine couldn't control how the webpage would show up in the UI properly.

Whether their going to consider re-implementing those is anyones guess though.

geraldstark

geraldstark

Well , lately I've come to terms with the new Opera, I accept devs had to move on, because the Internet moved on... Do I dig O Blink? No. Do I like some of its features? yes, folders on speed dial, good; discover...all right, but it lacks customization for local users (I live in Chile, so it's almost useless to me), Stash..ok. Aside from speed and compatibility, nothing too impressive. But what else does an average user need?

Regarding extensions, it's hard for an extension to replace an in-built feature. But that's the way it is now. But at least I would like to have the chance to "clean up" my browser's look, either by compressing the space the extension buttons use or maybe a start bar a la O presto, or even with a "black theme". With so many extensions needed to add functionality, my add-on bar looks like a grafitti wall :lol:

@lem729: Thanks for the links. I had already tried some extensions (I've been using O blink since 15)

christoph142

christoph142

@geraldstark: You know that you can hide extension icons if you don't need them at all, right?
(right-click the icon -> Manage extensions... -> Hide from {toolbar, address field})

geraldstark

geraldstark

yes, I know it. But there are certain extensions that you need to keep visible in order to use them.

lem729

lem729

You're right, geraldatark. Fighting that clutter is a constant struggle. (It's a Chrome browser problem too) (Even on Firefox, I'm seeing a buildup of toolbar extension icons). Now I have in Opera 21, 16 active extensions right now, and am only needing to show 7 on the bar. (I carefully chose not to show what I don't need to). So the look is not too cluttered, but it's a struggle to keep the active and "showing" list small. I also have 13 deactivated extensions. I may use them occasionally in the future. In stead of hiding them, I deactivated them to save computer resources. I have a nice extension I have on the extension bar called, One-Click Extension Manager (from the Chrome store). If I click on it, I get an immediate vertical display of all my extensions. I can deactivate all of them in one click if I chose (to test overall speed without any extensions against what I have), or I can deactivate them on an ad hoc basis. Some that I deactivatate I do use, but it's one click to activate and use them, so why keep them active the rest of the time. I use Click@Clean (the Chrome extension) that way. If I want to clean browser history, manage cookies, etc, do a malware check in the browser, I activate it. And when I'm done, I just deactivate it. Some of the deactivated ones, I may simply decide to delete if I don't use them for a long enough time.