A new way of working: windows v.s. tabs

[robertwrogge]

robertwrogge last edited by

Hello! After reading several older posts about windows/tabs and the evolving feature-set of Opera, I think it's necessary to revisit this concept in a new light.

A new and improved way of navigating in Windows 10 in combination with a browser

1. Three finger gestures to open up navigation on Windows 10 is changing how we navigate from app to app in Windows.
2. Lots of us have apps we use for work in Opera, and then we have apps that are running natively on Windows. It's becoming an extra load for the mind to keep track of which app is in Opera, on which tab, and which app is sitting in the Windows taskbar. It's an unnatural distinction for the mind to say, "that's a browser-app and that's an app-app."
3. Opening new windows for in-browser apps we regularly use makes it easier to navigate from app to app using the three-finger navigation, since there is no distinction between a native app or an in-browser app when you simply throw the windows up.
4. This also enables us to run some of our apps full screen in the browser, permanently.
5. This also enables us to auto-hide the Windows 10 taskbar, because when you no longer need it for navigation, it's better hidden. Consequently, you get all the screenspace in the world!!!!
6. In other words, tabs are no longer all the rage.

Opera bugs and issues related to this

1. Open new tabs as windows was phased out, understandably. But it's time to phase this back in, carefully.
2. Running apps in full screen means that you need a XXX+click shortcut to open a link in a new window, because otherwise it opens in your full-screen window. If you're using that window for your email app, you don't want to open that link in that window, you want it in a new window OR a designated window for all new tabs.
3. Full screen Opera is not playing correctly with a hidden Windows 10 taskbar. A hidden Windows 10 taskbar should still appear when you move the mouse over.
4. Sometimes Opera will crash when you a) have four separate windows in full-screen running webapps, b) create a new window in full screen, then c) you minimize the new full-screen window using a shortcut. The window turns black and disappears forever when you navigate to a new window or app.

Revolution
Anyway, this way of working is nothing short of a revolution right under our noses. There is no reason why Opera should not position itself as basically the browser that most enables "simulated native apps." And what's amazing is, fixing a couple bugs and enabling a new shortcut to open a link in a new window would basically solve it.