How to win big market share for Opera Windows desktop browser (bookmarks, sync)
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lem729 last edited by
Part of organizing bookmarks is the ability to have them available for quick Access. A simple Opera extension I like -- find really useful -- is "quickiepages. https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/quickiepages/?display=en
This extension gives you the ability to open multiple links with a single click of the icon on the toolbar. I have it set up for five now in a subject area that changes throughout the day. One click opens all five. I then pin them, so I have plenty of space on the tab bar, and I have them available for checking throughout the day.
And since I'm posting that, I wanted to add -- first, something about the the new Opera Speed Dial, I see it as -- for sure -- a complementary method of bookmarking. In a way it's making use of almost a different medium. You know how you can watch a movie on a 14 inch TV or on the 46 incher. It's not quite the same experience on the small screen :). Accessing bookmarks on the personal toolbar can be fine -- and Opera has that -- that is, folders within folders of all the minutiae that one has saved. But the Speed Dial is there (for how you want to use it, of course,). But it can truly be -- as it was originally (when Opera invented it) -- for showcasing your big-timefavorites, only more fulfilled now in promise with the folders of items that can be created for each speed dial position (and where you can continue to see thumbnails too). For example, you can showecase, instead of 10 or 15 sites, in half the space on the screen (compared to what you were using with the old Speed Dial) maybe 90 or 100 (and still have gorgeous wallpaper to make of your browser home something special.
And since we're in a thread on market share and the browser in general, I had a thought more about the Discover function in Opera 21. I don't think it's adequately appreciated. Look, we have people in the forum complaining that they're lost an RSS feed in moving from Opera Presto. (Now of course, you can get RSS feed extensions, or Feedly, which is wonderful. But I want think Opera with its Discover feature has put in something that is RSS-like to the Nth degree. We have fourteen subject areas, covering 35 countries, and multiple language. It can be a feast to explore. You're looking for stories in your own country, well, let's say the US, and you wonder what people in South Africa, or the United Kingdom, or India, or elsewhere are thinking about. Just click on the cogwheel in the Discover setting, and you can see the subject areas covered for that other country or countries. And if you are multi-lingual, it can be more than a treasure. So many people in the world speak two or three languages, or more. Here you can switch languages instantly and get your news not only from the perspective of another country, but another language.
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vinczej last edited by
Chrome is "promoted" (forced, bonded) with Adobe products and other widely used installation packages. It's difficult to compete with Chrome for Opera this way.
I agree, that without some native ground function (e.g. bookmark) Opera is suppressed by Chrome, although I think, Opera is better than Chrome, IE or FF. But Opera can win customers only with special features. (e.g. Speed Dial)
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lem729 last edited by
Opera has native ground function (eg bookmarks)! There is no issue there. Look for people who say, Opera lacks bookmarks, it's the emperor without any clothes. It's simply not true. The bookmarking within Opera (taking bookmarks, organizing them, is superb). On a bookmark inport-export manager, that's something that, when added to the browser, would help in the future.
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Deleted User last edited by
I'm not sure I can get used to the Speed Dial as my main source of bookmarks. It takes an extra mouse action or two to click what could easily be on the bookmarks bar, which is what I use. Ninety percent of the bookmarks I use are in the bookmarks bar, which is made of categorised folders that each contain the relevant bookmarks for each category. No need to open a new tab, everything is right there all the time, quick and easy.
A bookmarks bar can hold hundreds of bookmarks, organised in a way that makes any website easily accessible within a couple of mouse clicks. A Speed Dial can hold how many bookmarks, even with its folder-like ability? And how long would it take to drill down to the link you want? Even if none of that was a problem, I can't justify opening a new tab just for the sake of getting to my bookmarks.
I rarely ever used the bookmarks menu in any browser, it's always been the bookmarks bar. So I don't miss the menu, except for the bookmark management links they contained. At this point, Opera has no manager, which is annoying but not a deal breaker.
Having said all that, I still need to test the Speed Dial find its limits, if it has any. I just find it clunky to open a new tab for it.
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Deleted User last edited by
Just did some testing. One downside is I can't create folders within a folder. I really need that functionality.
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lem729 last edited by
You can create folders within folders in your personal bookmarks bar, not the Speed Dial. There you can only create one folder for each speed dial position. Personally, I only use the Speed dial to showcase for myself heavily used links, a limited number -- the stuff I come come back to all the time, or maybe some live content -- like a changing astronomy picture, rss feed, changing Stumble Upon website. I don't want to destoy the ambiance of wallpaper and setting of the speed Dial page by putting too much there, though you can have much more than in an old-fashioned speed dial. That's the beauty of it. You can show a lot more (maybe I would have 60-70 sites to showcase, instead of 10-12 in a traditional Speed dial, and it still feels beautiful, because with the folders, it may take up only 1/2 a page. The personal bookmarks is, in my personal view, best for the vast bulk of the bookmarks. And there you can have the folders within folders, ad infinitum.. It's near unlimited. And of course the storage space in Stash too is also near unlimited. Of course you can have tons and tons in the speed dial, but I think it would ruin it for me. Like overcrowding a house, and making it junk.
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Deleted User last edited by
I believe Opera is going to the right direction, the new Opera is awesome, I have never seen such a good browser, and I post this using Opera browser for android!
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Deleted User last edited by
@lem729: Yes, I knew about folders within folders on the bookmarks bar; that's where I work from the most. But now you mention it, using Speed Dial for most-used bookmarks could work. I certainly like the concept. In fact, a few years ago I used a Speed Dial extension on Firefox that was quite useful, and more customisable than Opera's new one. I'll keep track of what Opera does with it, because they could very well improve on it over time.
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lem729 last edited by
@islander5460
I'm not sure what you mean by the Firefox speed dial that you looked at in the past being more customizable than Opera's. I've looked at Firefox on and off for years (as my no. 2 or 3, or 4 browser) and still can't find a speed dial I really think much of in Firefox and its extensions. Having a folder (if you choose), as Opera 21 for each speed dial position (with as many links as you want there) (and thumbnails) and the ability to keep adding speed dial positions is the ultimate in flexibility. Some of the Speed Dial extensions for other browsers offer you extra pages. For a while, I thought extra pages were the answer, but the more I look at Opera, it doesn't seem needed. On one Opera speed dial page, you can showcase more links than you can on ten speed dial pages in another browser's conventional speed dial (and with Opera you can at the end of a page, keep adding extensions and scroll down) (you then end up with a scrolling bar on the right hand side of the browser). It seems like you could keep going and going with the links and speed dial positions. No end to it? Now on customization with Opera you can adjust the number of columns, as well as the size of the thumbnails. If the thumbnails are smaller, you can get more of them in a limited area of space. In Opera, you can rearrange your speed dial links within a speed dial folder by dragging the thumbnail into the position that you want. You can move the speed dial folders around by dragging. You create a folder by dragging the thumbnail of a link on top of another. You can drag a link from the speed dial to the personal toolbar, and from the personal toolbar you can drag a bookmark to the speed dial and make a position there. And then with Opera, you have a slew of customization possibilities with wallpaper, using your own, taking Opera's, adding wallpaper from the internet with a right click. Initially, I hadn't fully digested the Opera Speed Dial (with folders). Upon reflection, I believe it is a "killer" feature, hugely customizable, and I don't think any competitor browser or extension to a browser right now is in the same ballpark.
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dnsone last edited by
lem729 you have no idea about bookmarks, which is why I am still using Opera 12 & not these newer nonfunctional versions of Opera.
Opera 12 has proper bookmarks, along with speed dial & Sessions which allow you to save & store multiple open tabs. I have about 50 different Sessions stored, each contain multiple bookmarks that open in their own tab with the click of the mouse on the individual Session name & create when saved. I also have about 4000 bookmarks, Firefox & IE can both handle that volume of bookmarks, the newer versions of Opera can't.
The new Opera is focused on "users" who social network to sites like Facebook & really know nothing about security & personal privacy or even care. If they did they wouldn't be using Facebook & linking everything they do online. Opera shifted to this newer no-bookmark browser for a reason "profits"!
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lem729 last edited by
You can try Session Buddy if you move to Opera 20. You can also save and store multiple open tabs.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/session-buddy/edacconmaakjimmfgnblocblbcdcpbko?hl=en
That's how you would save and store new sessions in Opera 21. I am not saying those old sessions would transfer over, and that seems to be a major problem.
When you say, Opera 21 cannot handle 4000 bookmarks, I don't think that is at all accurate. It can! What you are really saying, I think, is that it cannot handle what you have in Opera 12 -- 4000 bookmarks plus 50 saved sessions, without being a colossal headache for you. As for importing, I made clear in my initial post in this thread: "What Opera 21 could use is an import/export bookmarks manager, built into the basic browser." Now, I do understand that 4000 bookmarks is a huge undertaking. And because of your multiple sessions that you have saved, you are in a highly uncommon category. Is any product that doesn't not meet a near totally unusual need, such as yours, nonfunctional. I don't think so! And let me make clear, Opera 21 is not nonfunctional. It just may not be able to adequately deal -- for you -- with your rather unique
issue.If you want to transfer the bookmarks WITHOUT the sessions, I believe you could make the transfer, activating the Personal Bookmarks bar in Opera 20, getting a good bookmarks manager extension, like Neater Bookmarks in the Chrome store, using the Bookmarks Importer in Opera 21, and making full use of near infinite space in the Speed Dial, the bookmarks toolbar and Stash for storage and organization. I don't know how well organized your bookmarks are in folders, so it may not be easy. I'll be honest with you. I've never tried to import anywhere near that number of bookmarks.
AS for Opera now being focused on Social Networks and Facebook, that's alot of hooey :))))) And let me make very clear: it's not at all what you aburdly call it, "a no-bookmarks browser." That's a duck, sir, that will not fly, a dog that will not hunt . . . Why, it's the emperor without any clothes. You can repeat something over and over again, and it doesn't make it truth. I can understand your rather unique situation. Best of luck to you!
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dnsone last edited by
Saving & storing a few urls in a Session isn't the issue. Sessions are just a nice way of saving things you are working on. Such as when you are researching a subject or issue & have 10 tabs open but need to go to work or bed. Then you just save those open tabs to a new session so you can open that Session again later. Sessions have no other purpose than that.
Opera 12 like Firfox & IE can handle massive amounts of bookmarks without any problems at all. They do so because bookmarks are simple a saved url. I have never tried but imagine in Opera 12, Firefox & IE, one could have 1 million or more bookmarks without it causing any problems. Bookmarks are little more than a text file, each line being a single url.
Opera 21 or any version of Opera after Opera 12 can't handle bookmarks. Opera doesn't want their web browser to handle bookmarks anymore & I told you why "Profits".
Opera is making a great deal of money by forcing thier users to use search engines to reach websites. It's all about big data, getting people to rely on others rather than themselves. Everyone today is using search engines, linking all their social networking sites, having someone else remember their login credentials.
Some of us are not interested in sharing our lives with the Googles of the world, we prefer anonimity. My personal privacy is critically important to me, I don't link anything, I don't have anyone else remember my login credentials.
Funny thing is IE is the most anonymous browser. When I install Opera, Firefox & Chrome I have to spend hours running wireshark & netcat to capture all the IP addresses those browsers are "phoning home to" IE doesn't do that but the others all do. After installing Firefox a week ago I ended up adding over 200 IP addresses to my host file, to block my Internet connection from contacting those IP addresses. Those are IP addresses Firefox tries to connect to just by opening the program & without ever connecting to a website. Opera & Chrome do the same thing. Not just when you start the web browsers, even while surfing from website to website those browers are still phoning home.
But you wouldn't know anything about that because you are just a user. Who like most everyone else is oblivous to just how much tracking & monitoring of our surfing habits are taking place & by who. And I won't even tell you about extensions, addons & those toolbars people keep installing on their computers & cell phones.
Before you say I am being paranoid get yourself Wireshark & run it, see for yourself. Start Wireshark then open Opera without connecting to any websites & watch how many IP adresses Opera connects to before you ever do anything. Then if you want to do something about you need to learn how to use your host file, mine is blocking my computer from connecting to over 18,000 IP addresses. The host file is actually the only way to block connections to & from your computer. Web browser addons & adblocking software only block the display of ads, the connections to & from your computer still take place!
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Deleted User last edited by
@islander5460
I'm not sure what you mean by the Firefox speed dial that you looked at in the past being more customizable than Opera's. I've looked at Firefox on and off for years (as my no. 2 or 3, or 4 browser) and still can't find a speed dial I really think much of in Firefox and its extensions. Having a folder (if you choose), as Opera 21 for each speed dial position (with as many links as you want there) (and thumbnails) and the ability to keep adding speed dial positions is the ultimate in flexibility. Some of the Speed Dial extensions for other browsers offer you extra pages. For a while, I thought extra pages were the answer, but the more I look at Opera, it doesn't seem needed. On one Opera speed dial page, you can showcase more links than you can on ten speed dial pages in another browser's conventional speed dial (and with Opera you can at the end of a page, keep adding extensions and scroll down) (you then end up with a scrolling bar on the right hand side of the browser). It seems like you could keep going and going with the links and speed dial positions. No end to it? Now on customization with Opera you can adjust the number of columns, as well as the size of the thumbnails. If the thumbnails are smaller, you can get more of them in a limited area of space. In Opera, you can rearrange your speed dial links within a speed dial folder by dragging the thumbnail into the position that you want. You can move the speed dial folders around by dragging. You create a folder by dragging the thumbnail of a link on top of another. You can drag a link from the speed dial to the personal toolbar, and from the personal toolbar you can drag a bookmark to the speed dial and make a position there. And then with Opera, you have a slew of customization possibilities with wallpaper, using your own, taking Opera's, adding wallpaper from the internet with a right click. Initially, I hadn't fully digested the Opera Speed Dial (with folders). Upon reflection, I believe it is a "killer" feature, hugely customizable, and I don't think any competitor browser or extension to a browser right now is in the same ballpark.It's been some time since I used the FF extension, but I do remember it being very flexible, and could do everything you stated about Opera's speed dial. The best feature I liked was the speed dial page could have tabs, so opening a new tab for speed dial didn't feel like a wasted move. In effect, the speed dial page became a visual version of the bookmarks bar. I'm hoping Opera does the same thing someday, because speed dial tabs are very useful. But if not, if they could support folders within folders, I'd be more likely to use speed dial.
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lem729 last edited by
@lem729
It's been some time since I used the FF extension, but I do remember it being very flexible, and could do everything you stated about Opera's speed dial.I'm sure it could not create a folder for each speed dial position -- if wanted. It's at least my understanding that that's a unique Opera breakthrough.
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. You're right, though, the Opera speed dial doesn't go the extra step -- give you folders within folders. That you can get with the personal tool bar. But they complement each other. It doesn't have to be a choice -- the Speed Dial, or the bookmarks bar. The Speed Dial can be used for certain kinds of links -- the most used, the ones you want to highlight, etc. I'm not sure what you mean by a new tab for speed dial. Opera seems to do that, I can have speed dial going in any tab I want. -
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lem729 last edited by
You say, "Sessions are just a nice way of saving things you are working on. Such as when you are researching a subject or issue & have 10 tabs open but need to go to work or bed. Then you just save those open tabs to a new session so you can open that Session again later. Sessions have no other purpose than that." Okay, Session Buddy, the Chrome Extension, can do that.
You insist on the misinformation campaign, when you repeat the same old same old . . . that, as you assert, "Opera 21 or any version of Opera after Opera 12 can't handle bookmarks. Opera doesn't want their web browser to handle bookmarks anymore." Wake up. Can't you smell the coffee brewing. It just ain't so! Opera 21 can handle more bookmarks than Opera 12. It is a bookmarks "giant," with its wondrous speed dial (with folders of links for each speed dial position, the personal bookmarks bar (that permits folders within folders within folders ad infinitum), stash, bookmark manager extensions, etc. Now I'm not talking about how well Opera 21 import. That's a different issue.
You say, " Some of us are not interested in sharing our lives with the Googles of the world, we prefer anonimity. My personal privacy is critically important to me, I don't link anything, I don't have anyone else remember my login credentials." Okay, but I don't see on the extensions that work in Opera 12, major players like, "Disconnect," https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/disconnect/?display=en
or even ZenMate
https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/zenmate-for-operatm/?display=enor AVG Privacy Fix. https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/avg-privacyfix-2/?display=en
The approved privacy extensions for Opera 12, are much more limited than for Opera 21, and the ones you have, like Ghostery are extensions in Opera 21.
You say, "Then if you want to do something about you need to learn how to use your host file, mine is blocking my computer from connecting to over 18,000 IP addresses. The host file is actually the only way to block connections to & from your computer. Web browser addons & adblocking software only block the display of ads, the connections to & from your computer still take place!"
Now that sounds pretty good. Look, I used Opera 12 for years, and it's a fine browser. There's no reason you can't continue to make good use of it.
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fossadeidim last edited by
@lem729 Firefox's Super Start add-on had folder option already in 2012. Should I apply your way of thinking and start a discussion who stole what?
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Deleted User last edited by
@lem729
I'm not sure what you mean by a new tab for speed dial. Opera seems to do that, I can have speed dial going in any tab I want.I only had to open one new browser tab to reach the speed dial, and within that single speed dial page you could have tabs (or Groups as the default name is for the tabs). I just installed it again so I could make this screenshot to show you: http://cbiweb.com/stuff/FF-speed-dial-tabs.png
That feature was very convenient, and didn't require as many mouse actions as the current Opera setup. So if Opera could do that -OR- do folders within folders, I'd be more likely to use the speed dial.
In any case, the bookmarks bar itself is enough for me. I don't really NEED a bookmark manager or any other functionality that other extensions could bring. As long as I can get to my websites with fewer mouse actions, I'm happy.
