I'm using Opera 19, so yours might be a bit different.

1. Click "Opera', you know that small tab at the top left corner of the browser.
2. Click "Settings".
3. Click "Browser".
4. Look a bit to the right. Scroll down till you see "User Interface".
5.Check the "Show The Bookmark Bar"
6. Exit your Opera browser then restart. If you don't understand, it means "turn off your browser" then "turn it on again"
7. You would see something quite annoying on top of the browser "For quick access, add your bookmarks to this bar"

That's your bookmark bar. If you hate it, go back to Chrome (or your previous browsers). If you think you might like it, stay and play.

If you still need help for other things concerning the bookmark, reply or "Quote" to my comment and I'll try to source a simple solution for you. No promises tho. I'm an accountant not a programmer. :left:

Originally posted by blackbird71:

Opera's notifying users that Opera 12 has finally been officially rendered "unsupported"...

I assume/hope that won't happen until they've got a Linux version out.

Agreed. Though I hope somebody fast-browsing through these posts won't incorrectly take your partial quote from me as a statement of Opera's support actually ending, which it has not. Some folks are navigating around these forums with hair-triggers now... I can only imagine the reaction if that happened.

Opera's notifying users that Opera 12 has finally been officially rendered "unsupported"...

I assume/hope that won't happen until they've got a Linux version out.

... (I'm waiting a while before I try importing bookmarks.) ...

I would concur in that. Opera is not done evolving its bookmarks system (as well as some other features), and until it has at least reached the point of being able to import them upon demand from several browser brands directly and simply, it's not quite ready for prime time. But, hopefully, that time will come... perhaps indirectly announced by Opera's notifying users that Opera 12 has finally been officially rendered "unsupported"... and perhaps whereupon auto-update in 12 is activated to bump users to whatever New Opera version is current at that time.

- Since I'm running both versions, each version wants to set the default browser. (a bit of ping pong - enough already :rolleyes: )
- opera 18 keeps wanting to download the mail client app. This automatic download didn't start until after I downloaded it and imported my email from opera 12; now when I start opera 18, it tries to download it again.
- When I migrated my email to the email client, opera quietly dumped my notes into an html file. (I thought I saw something indicating you had to do this explicitly.) Copy-to-notes was such a useful feature; it seems clear that they aren't going to bother with it anymore.
- I haven't imported my bookmarks into opera 18 yet. It appears that opera 18 bookmarks don't have descriptions (when you edit a bookmark, it only provides name and url fields). I made heavy use of the bookmark description field. I'm guessing that existing bookmark descriptions don't make it through the migration. (I'm waiting a while before I try importing bookmarks.)

Because of the lack of a bookmark sidebar and editable bookmark descriptions, I may end up keeping around opera 12 as a bookmark editor and notes tool. Opera was an integrated toolset; I use opera in both work and non-work environments, and it's disappointing to see them drop features that I have depended on.

ok, i've searched but didn't find

It seems that you didn't even read this thread. I answered this yet again not far above your own post.

Originally posted by Pesala:

Then you can use the Bookmarks Importer to “import” your already imported bookmarks to either the Speed Dial or the Quick Access Bar.

ok, i've searched but didn't find, so i'll ask here. how exactly do i import my bookmarks to the quick access bar? i've enabled it, but not found options to import to it.

Come on... you didn't really search did you. I just typed bookmark importer into the Search field and came up with dozens of threads regarding that very issue. In fact, the first thread contains the answer given by Pesala. Try it.

I have had several browsers on all my computer Desktop as backup to Firefox. In the last 12 months, I have had problems with Firefox so I went looking for a browser that my computers could have less issues. I updated all my computers to the current edition of Opera and also went through the "Bookmark" drill and found it so very user unfriendly that I am going to see what other options on other browsers are available. I liked Opera at one time and I hope you resolve your user interface issues. There is plenty of room out here for a good, fast, conflict free browser. Best of luck to the Opera team making your browser user friendly again.

Oh I don't know. It seems pretty user friendly to me. Granted, I use both v.12.16 and v.18 and find both very easy to use so I'm not sure what exactly your issue is. You mentioned that it "WAS" once user friendly and yet you were a Firefox user. Why would you use FF is Opera was once a user friendly browser? Oh well... each to his own I guess. Since Opera 18 isn't user friendly and Opera 12 no longer works for you and you have had issues with Firefox, try Chrome. :whistle:

So is there a "fork" or new platform to which the old team has migrated?

Many in the "old team" are gone. They were laid off and have taken jobs elsewhere. Much of the original Presto team is no more.

So what I meant is, is there some place somewhere that discusses what has happened and I why I should retain any confidence in Opera's future?

Probably not. Besides, it would simply present one "version of the truth" whatever that might be. My advice is simply this: stay and make use of either the older Presto version until it no longer serves you OR stay and adapt to the new Blink version, adopting some of the extensions and workarounds that have been provided OR leave. Yes, leave is definitely an option and if you are that dissatisfied (i.e. Steven Cree) with not only the browser but the company as well, then just go away and find a browser and a company in whom you will be content. But remaining here and complaining and whining day after day does no one any good. What is the point? Do you think Opera is going to listen at this stage? Hardly. The Presto team is essentially gone - they've "left the house" as it were so don't expect a return to Presto. Opera has retooled and largely rewritten the browser building upon the Blink rendering engine. They will add new features over time (they've promised us that) so we either wait for that to materialize OR we leave.

Their user surveys told them “that more than 90% of our users never actually added a single bookmark to the ones shipped with Opera.”

And the Billboard record charts, once they introduced soundscan, which scanned every one sold, instead of basing their rankings on "surveys", they found most of their charts were all wrong. To believe that 90% of Opera's users never add a single bookmark, is so ridiculous I can't even write this without grinning. Honestly, really? You can't tell from just a "survey" of all the posts on this forum, that that is an absurd statement? Do you not ever add a bookmark, no, as I bet none of even the "experts" here could say yes to.....

But one thing that has been missing in all these "discussions", is what about those of us who had Opera 16, only to find all the bookmarks we had in Opera, gone, with 17, or maybe it was 15 and then gone with 16, I can't keep track, too many numbers in my life already. All I see are workarounds if you want to import them from 12 or below, or from Chrome, etc...

And does anyone honestly know if the developers are actually intending to bring back some sort of bookmark manager along the lines of what used to be, or what every other browser employs?

f anyone has any background links or data it would be fascinating to read.

Their user surveys told them “that more than 90% of our users never actually added a single bookmark to the ones shipped with Opera.”

Tell me....what help do you want with bookmarks?

They work very well in Opera 18 and above. What is the problem that I, or any of the more expert users of Opera who post on here, can help you with?