Well, Internet Explorer has a reputation for incompatibility with the Web. I don't know whether that's true now.

Chrome ignores my settings or does crazy things in response to my attempts to set settings. And Chrome is Google and Google is the Borg.

Mozilla was recently exposed as being run by fiercely bigoted heterophobes, and there may be some people who don't want to do business with that.

So what remains? Opera and a long tail of little bitty others. And Opera is kind of user-hostile, always was, so some of us have no choice but to bottom-feed. Every year or two I try Opera, get totally antagonated, and the next year I try it again.

https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/disconnect/?display=en

and the Disconnect Search extension that Chrome has, and that you can get to work in Opera.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/disconnect-search/hmobfennjmjnkdbklhcnnfbhfibedgkk?hl=en-US

My understanding is that a former google executive created disconnect.me to counter browser tracking. You say you don't like IE because of security issues. Well, security is a big deal. In any event, I don't like the look of IE (and the lack of a good speed dial). Still, as leushino suggests, you need to go with what you like.

Of course, percentages may be relevant here. Internet Explorer has the large preponderance of the browser market share. Every hacker in the world will go after it Good luck!

Opera is not beholding to Google. The real question is: why are you trolling in this forum? I've read your comments in several threads now and all you seem to do is criticize, ridicule and demean Opera. Look... if Opera doesn't float your boat go elsewhere. You say you wanted to ditch Mozilla... and why is that? You don't like this browser and you don't like that one. Well... find one that you DO like and stick with it. If you want the options provided by the "old" browser... then download v.12.16 and go with it. Many here are continuing to use the Presto versions without a great deal of problem so what is YOUR problem?

LOL. So much anger... over a browser. Very much like what you used to find in the Linux forums... which is why virtually no one uses it on desktops (currently about 1.5%). Don't take software appraisals personally. It's not a cult, but a product. If you enjoy Opera, that's fine, it occupies about a 1.5-2.0% market share. As I said, it'll be my backup until some of the issues get resolved. I hope they do.

That being said, it does work. I can't say it does anything better than the big boys, but it may be a little faster loading some of the pages I think. Here's the problem. I don't like MS IE because of security issues. I don't want to use Mozilla because I don't respect the company. So, the question to me is : How beholding is Opera REALLY to Google? And from looking at it for a day, it seems like it is quite beholding. Since I have issues with privacy with Google, I'm not at all convinced that Opera doesn't share those same traits that Google has displayed with its other products.

Until I make up my mind, I'm uninstalling Firefox, keeping Opera as a backup, and going back to MS IE.

While in the past, the browsers had many fine features, there are issues of speed, and simplicity (that some want) (while others want infinite customization), and there's a balance at issue. Not everyone may end up instantly happy.

The thing to keep in mind is that we are NOT paying for the damn product (though I did pay my pittance for it many years ago). It's a freebie. When I pay good money for something and the quality is going downhill, I have a reason to be concerned about the civilization and the culture. Here, I'm not ready to start complaining, because this is a product in development. I have an idea what Opera is trying to do, and so far, for me there are things I'm quite happy with, and features I wish would be improved -- with even a look to the past.

On Firefox, I definitely liked it much more in the past. At one point, Opera and Firefox were for me close calls, though I preferred Opera. Now, I feel lost in extension bloated Firefox. I don't like the look, and have some technical problems with using it (flash conflicts, etc.). I personally find the minimalist look in Opera appealing, have always thought that a limitation with Opera was its non-development of extensions (now mostly addressed through the new browser engine, which opens the door to all of the chrome extensions), and I salute Opera for its invention of the speed dial -- made better through its folder innovation. Opera is a very creative company. Look at the innovations in the Coast browser for the Ipad. It has some shortcoming, but it's also, like wow -- another world. I say, hats off too Opera for thinking outside of the box. So be of good cheer: the future may still bring great things.

Good point, Leushino. Opera is free. As such it's a gift. We can choose between different products, and encourage developers. But being angry here over my rights in a free product is ludicrous. We don't risk losing money. They (the developers)do! I wish (smile) I were younger, even if -- haha -- angry. Like you Leushino, I have features I wish were still there from Opera Presto, But what there is here on the desktop, and Coast with Opera, and Opera for Android are pretty well done. Like wow. And Firefox, IE and Chrome are well done also. For some reason, even with this changed Opera, I prefer and enjoy the look, and what it does. I will end up using the browser that I enjoy most. For the moment, I still prefer Opera.

There is no choice in a monoculture which is what is happening with browsers. While the latest nightly builds of Firefox still use the Gecko engine, they are dumbing dow...er..I mean streamlining the interface which translates into less customization. So once again, work flow suffers as it does with finger painting OS'

Opera ditched Presto which meant they ditched just about everything when starting over with Chromium.
I have been an Opera user for years. I paid for it when it was commercial back in the day. I have Firefox with about 20 addons vs Opera 20 with three. Opera is much better Firefox. With Presto it was a constant hassle using Opera due to web page rendering issues. I needed Firefox as a fallback. Now it looks like I can actually permanently dump Firefox.
Start of an era.
ps - These anecdotal comments, like mine above, are useless. What counts is usage statistics and income. Statistics are going up because of higher retention. That is what Opera looks at.
Opera stats
http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
Feb 2014 - 1.9%
May 2013 - 1.6%
http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2013&month=5
March 2014 - 2.9%
May 2013 - 2.4%
There are significant differences, however, the trend in them seems to be an upwards count.

You can take those number with a grain of salt.
W3Counter - This site counts the last 15,000 page views from each of approximately 70,000 websites. This limits the influence of sites with more than 15,000 monthly visitors on the usage statistics.

On the other hand - Wikimedia traffic analysis reports are based on server logs of about 4 billion page requests per month, based on the user agent information that accompanied the requests. These server logs cover requests to all the Wikimedia Foundation projects, including Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wiktionary, Wikibooks, Wikiquote, Wikisource, Wikinews, Wikiversity and others.

Jan.2013 - Desktop 2.72% Total 3.88%
Dec.2013 - Desktop 1.54% Total 2.86%
Jan.2014 - Desktop 1.51% Total 2.83%
Feb.2014 - Desktop 1.50% Total 2.77%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers

Ice Dragon Bookmarks Screenshot-----> http://s67.photobucket.com/user/ColdWinter61/media/IceDragonBookmarks_zps2ede93e3.jpg.html

                                          Opera Browser 1996----2013

What troubles me are those users, especially with complaints similar to mine, who display temper tantrums in the forums and thereby turn off even undecided users and developers from openly hearing the complaints with a mindset framed to deal with them. What troubles me even more is that this spirit of erupting explosively and abusively the moment one's expectations aren't met has become something of a characteristic of the age, and it is leading to ever more prevalent forms of "rage" in cultures the world over. That it is certainly not a good thing.

I see it as the age of entitlement. You (Opera) OWE me. You (Opera) must do exactly as I say and when I say it. I don't like the way you have changed your browser and now I'm entitled to demean you, threaten you and even encourage others to boycott you UNTIL such time as you come to your senses and do as I say. And I don't CARE what you or anyone else says. I don't CARE that the browser is free. I'm still entitled to have it just the way I want it.

Frankly, there were some things about Opera Presto that I now miss. I've made a few requests many months ago in the appropriate forum but I'm not beating a drum daily to demand my requests be met. Maybe patience comes with age, I don't know. I suspect that some of the more vociferous, angry posters are relatively young and immature.

Agreed... the frustration will continue but the bombs (as it were) do not need to keep going off IF people would behave civilly. What good does vulgarity do? What possible good outcome can result from insulting the developers or claiming Opera has sold out to the devil? And when Opera is defended against such outrageous claims and statements (and why shouldn't it be defended?) what good can come from attacking the defender and claiming he is a shill and should just shut up and go away? The answer is: no good whatsoever. It's one thing to be frustrated and present your feature requests respectfully and quite another to start posts attempting to boycott Opera and "set off bombs" as you have described it. And undoubtedly I will now be attacked for having the audacity to speak up in Opera's defense.

On that we totally agree. Vulgarity and obscenity are the last resort of people who lack confidence in what they're asserting to be true. In reality, they undercut the case they're trying to present, alienating the very readers who might be able to do something about the situation. And it's not "defending Opera" to point that out.

I neither ask nor expect other users to view Old Opera's usefulness and New Opera's limitations which I perceive in exactly the same way I see them. I do expect and appreciate the opportunity to respectfully "make my case" in Opera's forums and blogs, even on multiple occasions, provided I do so courteously and with the understanding that Opera is under no obligation to meet my expectations or needs. What troubles me are those users, especially with complaints similar to mine, who display temper tantrums in the forums and thereby turn off even undecided users and developers from openly hearing the complaints with a mindset framed to deal with them. What troubles me even more is that this spirit of erupting explosively and abusively the moment one's expectations aren't met has become something of a characteristic of the age, and it is leading to ever more prevalent forms of "rage" in cultures the world over. That it is certainly not a good thing.

... Do the haters think the back end work that ensures the browser can be safe, secure and as bug free as possible writes itself? Still, I don't hold much breath the haters will change their tune anytime soon, if at all.

I believe the reason for a lot of the user "hate and discontent" seen here is a combination of disappointment, uncertainty, and frustration. Users, especially genuine "power users" and long-termers, develop usage patterns reliant on unique features and customizations in a browser. When those are disrupted by a major browser redesign, disappointment results. If it's uncertain whether those features and customizations will ever be returned, when, or in what form, then frustration sets in, along with a need to explain to Opera how they need the missing element. And for some of those users, that frustration turns to expressions of resentment and anger, as they try to convince Opera of their need. Those users' expressions will generally not exhibit "patience" or a clear understanding of the scope of "backend" work involved, mainly because the users see no schedule or are given any solid assurance that the missing features or customizations will ever return.

One of the key things that, to me, seems to make the Opera redesign uproar rather unique and more persistent in all the years I've observed the ebb and flow of PC software is that Opera has traditionally played its cards very close to its chest. It rarely announces anything about its work until it's at the moment of release... especially with regard to what are called "features" or "settings". And when it does, those announcements are usually buried in individual comments or blog entries of its developers. While all commercial software companies do this to some extent, Opera seems far more 'private' in this way than most. When the level of browser change and impact upon users has been as profound as this, one result is major user uncertainty about whether particular now-missing features or tweaks will ever reappear or how 'crippled' they might seem if they do. With such a vast array of customization and feature sets that were poured into Old Opera now either missing or significantly altered in New Opera, it's almost a slam-dunk that there will be a similarly vast array of unique disappointment-uncertainty-frustration experiences amongst users... no two users were impacted exactly the same way, so no two users would express their impact the same way.

Though "bookmarks" is a now-weary subject for many readers, it serves as a good example of the Opera redesign situation. First, users were assured the Blink changes to Opera would be "under-the-hood". Then as the first version appeared, users were told they didn't really need the missing bookmarks feature - Stash was the new, better way of doing things. As an uproar predictably exploded, inklings were finally given that just maybe bookmarks would be somehow addressed. Then the QAB appeared, limited, and without any real way of customizing it... to be followed with a hint or two that more 'might' be done on it. Now we have a QAB, renamed to a bookmarks bar, that is somewhat customizable, but without an integrated manager capable of importing/exporting from other browsers, etc - but with an inkling given users that a more comprehensive manager involving Stash, SpeedDial and Bookmarks might be forthcoming at some 'future' point. To a user dependent on a robust bookmarks feature in a browser, such a progression almost seems designed to maximize his frustration about what is going on and what to expect.

There are dozens and dozens of now-missing "features" that impact great numbers of previous Opera users in different ways, and the same 'bookmarks'-like pattern is playing out in hundreds of other unique ways for such users. As Old Opera users move to New Opera for the first time, in many cases utterly ignorant of all that's occurred this past year, these "realization/frustration bombs" just keep going off over and over. I don't honestly expect Opera to change its culture to become more forthcoming about its specific "feature" plans, but I do honestly believe that's precisely what is needed to recoup the situation. Unless some of the nagging uncertainty is removed, the frustration and "need to express" will continue for a very long time to come... and the "bombs" will just keep going off.

The best 'I' can describe the alternative browsers (competition ?) from an Arden Opera user (that still uses Presto) is just one big bunch of ill conceived, mis-managed hacks. And Opera (Blink) is a much better proposition (and a breath of fresh air compared to the others)

A breath of fresh air... I like that. Couldn't have described it better.

I'm pretty much a 99% Linux user most of the time so don't really get chance to use Opera (Blink) much, but do use it (Opera Developer) now and again to see how things are moving along. Still use Opera (Presto) 12.14 as my main (default) browser (and mail client) in Linux and Windows (when I'm there). And occasionally use Chromium to test sites that appear to not be working (correctly) in Opera (Presto) 12.14.

Ok!, just added a few extensions in Chromium to (hopefully) add functionality that is already native to Opera (Blink) on Windows that I use extensively, namely 'rocker gestures', 'auto scroll', a proper 'speed dial' among others.

I only got as far as those three (and I tried many alternative extensions), and was hoping to add more eventually, but promptly gave up. Because all I can say is, what a complete and utter nightmare. For a start 'rocker gestures' don't function properly, no matter which extension you choose, context menu keeps popping up all the time, only works on certain pages (not just exempt from google pages), no support for continuous button pressing to navigate (backwards or forwards) through many pages, some even disable the speed dial page ???.

Speed dial alternatives don't seem to add dynamic support for adding content (shortcuts, icons), no context menu support, no option to choose from open tabs or recently visited sites, just two text areas to type a URL and a label.

Auto scroll, surely this should be native, no ?. Anyway, even that doesn't work properly, only works on certain pages/sites (not just exempt from google pages), why ?, who knows.

You all moan at Opera for not having a fully functional (and kitted out) bookmarks manager, but at least it has the basics down, or at the very least alternative options to use for the time being (such as stash, speed dial ((with folder support)) until more functionality is eventually added.

The best 'I' can describe the alternative browsers (competition ?) from an Arden Opera user (that still uses Presto) is just one big bunch of ill conceived, mis-managed hacks. And Opera (Blink) is a much better proposition (and a breath of fresh air compared to the others) for someone coming from a history of using Opera Classic (Presto) pretty much exclusively. Though I am not about to give-up using Opera Classic any time soon, but I am pretty sure which path I will be taking when I will eventually have to (if/when a Linux version sees the light of day).

I have been an Opera user for years. I paid for it when it was commercial back in the day. I have Firefox with about 20 addons vs Opera 20 with three. Opera is much better Firefox. With Presto it was a constant hassle using Opera due to web page rendering issues. I needed Firefox as a fallback. Now it looks like I can actually permanently dump Firefox.

Start of an era.

ps - These anecdotal comments, like mine above, are useless. What counts is usage statistics and income. Statistics are going up because of higher retention. That is what Opera looks at.

Opera stats
http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
Feb 2014 - 1.9%
May 2013 - 1.6%

http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2013&month=5
March 2014 - 2.9%
May 2013 - 2.4%

There are significant differences, however, the trend in them seems to be an upwards count.

I have been an Opera user for years. I actually paid for it when it was commercial back in the day. And right now, looking at Firefox with addons vs Opera 20+ with addons, Firefox is a much better Opera than Opera, and that is also where I will be going once 12.16 is too much of a hassle due to lack of development. End of an era.

You should not only consider the presence of addons, where most are useless.
Current Opera is far more stable, fast and quick starting as ever Firefox.
I use Firefox as second browser and it crashes often, which I never experienced with Opera.

Also have a look how much space more on the screen you have left with opera, which can be used for browsing.
Not only a nice appearance counts for me, I am primary for performance, reliability and practical use.