20: Needs "Insert Personal", drag-and-drop-to-desktop & large matrix speed-dial many columns-rows

A Former User

Hi - I agree with many users who like 12-16 --- particularly rafelluik, but I want to move on but not to Chrome as people are correct: Google sucks out your soul --- particularly interesting as Senior Googlers are in bed with political parties, etc. Firefox is not much different for various reasons --- mostly all the junk that gets on my machine with Firefox.

I want to move to 20 and I understand that the things I want can be done with add-ons / plug-ins. But, I have no idea how to do them. 20 is much faster but without these things I will stick with 12-16 as my main browser.

These three things are very important to me: "Insert Personal" - This features SAVES me AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME; ACTUALLY ACCING MORE FIELDS WOULD BE GOOD ALSO.

Drag-and-drop-to-desktop - to save sites and organize where I have been and where I want to go again in a priority of folders. The STAR to add to book marks and to speed-dial was good also. This "stuff-it" things is not the same. So I would add the STAR to add to bookmarks or speed dial as important also.

Large matrix speed-dial many columns-rows - This is really important as it give a graphic representation of many websites that you can spread over several monitors to see what you want to do by grouping sites together. I have 8 monitors so it is particularly important to have many rows and columns to expand. Even my friend with only two monitors wants this. Of course, you mobile guys can't relate.

Can anyone tell me how to do these things in Opera 20 with add-ons / plugins. I was told that this is possible.

A Former User

Sorry, I meant rafaelluik not rafelluik.

lem729

lem729

You know, in the speed dial in Opera 20, you can create folders of speed dial items. For example if you have 12 speed dial items, each can have essentially a speed dial within each one. The way to do it is to have two items on the speed dial, and then drag one on top of the other. Then you can name the speed dial folder. And you can continue to drag speed dial items on top of it, and make it larger. It's similar to the way one can make folders of apps in the Ipad or Ipod.

An idea is to create areas on interest in speed dial items. Thus you could have one speed dial item for general news and a speed dial in it of items such as, for example, maybe -- CNN, Fox, BBC, USA Today, ABC, Washington Post, etc . . . Another with video sites -- You Tube, DailyMotion.com, etc. wheels within wheels -- sort of (smile), a third with sports sites -- ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Sporting News, etc.

You can drag sites from your personal toolbar to the speed dial, and from the speed dial to the personal toolbar. You can't drag and drop folders though.

I'm not at my desktop now, or I'd say more on what you can do with columns and rows. I know there's a way to expand somewhat. Also to make smaller the speed dial icons than the default, so you have more room. Also a lot of wallpaper personalization possibilities with the dial. Personally, I think the speed dial is spectacular (a major selling point for me to use Opera) and unique in browsers, though -- haha -- it will probably be stolen by the big nasties at some point, via extension or otherwise.

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer

"Insert Personal" - This features SAVES me AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME; ACTUALLY ACCING MORE FIELDS WOULD BE GOOD ALSO.

Note that Opera "remembers" what you have typed before on similar fields so usually you just need to type it once.

The STAR to add to book marks and to speed-dial was good also.

The address bar has two icons: one to add the page to Speed Dial and one to add to Stash.

A Former User

lem729 - Thanks. That is certainly useful information and folders is something I will definitely try to use. And, if you know anything else about how to make more room in the Speed-dial, I would appreciate knowing how.

Even with folders though, what I do is add to speed dial while I am browsing so having to put in a folder at that time and make a choice as to what folder will impair my browsing; thus, i would really like A LOT OF ROOM in the Speed-dial so I can add to it without thinking and then --- maybe once a week --- reorganize into folders.

Yes, Opera --- overall --- is better and the nasties will be stealing the ideas, but does not Opera patent new ideas? They should.

It is a big mystery to me as to why drag and drop URL to desktop is missing from 20. Do you know? could that be handeled with extensions, etc? How, I wonder?

I am really missing "insert personal" also.

A Former User

Thanks leocg. Yes, I understand that I can add to stash. But, what is stash and willl it still be there in opera 21? (-;) I know my desktop will still be there in 21.

re opera re-membering. It is not that same thing if I can not make a choice as to what is going into the fill-in box. not all webpages follow a convention that makes sense. Seeing a list is good for me. Can this be done with extensions? Thanks again.

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer

Yes, I understand that I can add to stash. But, what is stash and willl it still be there in opera 21? (-;) I know my desktop will still be there in 21.

You asked for a "button" to add the page to speed dial, i just pointed that the button already exists.

And yes, Stash will be there on 21 and even 22.

e opera re-membering. It is not that same thing if I can not make a choice as to what is going into the fill-in box.

You can choose if there are more than one entry for the field.

A Former User

@makesownweather I think you're confusing me for someone else...

Answering one of your questions, you can customize the Speed Dial number of columns and rows, you'll get more if you uncheck "Use big speed dial thumbnails" and increase the max number of columns in the advanced settings, maybe even more if you customize the tiles width and height using the power user mode (Konami code in the settings).

lem729

lem729

By creating folders you can do a lot in the speed dial, but if you just want to toss a lot into it (without thinking too much about the folders to follow) there are several possible strategies. Let me say first off, I'm not sure what the limit is on the speed dial. I clicked in settings, and the max there is 9 columns, but I seem to only be able to get 8 when I try. Going down, rows, perhaps it keeps going. I was only able to get 6 down. Didn't need more, so didn't try. It may -- haha -- go forever. You might want to test it. In any event, no big deal, there are alternatives. You can also toss the mass of items onto your personal tool bar, or using a bookmark extension (make bookmarks of it, and from there take a bit of time deciding how to organize your speed dial. My approach -- an you may be different in what you want -- is to put (in addition to folders or items I already have on the speed dial (right now, about 18), 2, 3, 4, 5 quick items on the speed dial at the end of that, because I know I will make instant folder with it, or move those items into an already existing folder. But if it's more than that, I use the personal tool bar (bookmark items to it and then drag to the speed dial), particularly when you are ready to make a folder. Remember, putting a speed dial in each folder -- you can organize tons of sites, though the speed dial is limited to one page. (If you want to test how many rows you can make, let me know!!!). Maybe you can keep going down with rows

I would make the speed dial icons small. (Go to settings, Browser, and for the Start Page, do not put a check in box about big thumbnails) (the bigger the thumbnails, the fewer the columns you can get, I think. Now beyond that setting, there's a way you can get more columns. I'm not sure why I only get 8 columns instead of 9. I think to get the 9 columns, you need to adjust the speed dial thumb nail width and height by going into Power Mode (which we have explained in the past this forum how to do). You go into settings, click outside the search box, then use the arrow keys: up up down down left right left right b a. Here's a link on it: http://newsblog.wti.com/index.php/2013/11/opera-19-developer-update-how-to-enable-operas-power-user-mode/

But remember to click outside the search box first, before you start with the arrow keys. (A thought: if you adjust the settings to make the speed dial smaller, it's possible you get more columns. (You may want to remember what the settings are that you start with, just in case you want to return to them). I vaguely remember a post, where I thought someone said the max. no. of columns is 11, though I'm not sure there. You can also set up nice wallpaper for the speed dial, even custom wallpaper from your own computer, to make the speed dial look great, but that's another issue for discussion..

Remember, everything does not have to be in the speed dial. You have a personal bookmarks toolbar, can use your bookmarks extension (you should download one), plus you have Stash for some bookmarks -- things to save. I hope this might be of some help, and give you ideas.