@longshotblues
@albatros48
You can do it. It's just a two step process.
(1) You have to first get your bookmarks from IE or Firefox in Opera 12. So you go to this link, scroll 2/3 down the page, and install Opera 12
http://www.opera.com/computer/windows
Then click on File (In Opera 12, Import and Export, and the click on Import from Internet Explorer, or Firefox.
Now you should have your bookmarks in Opera 12.
(2) I'm assuming you have Opera 20 installed already. If not download and install from the link above (at top of that page). In Opera 20, click on the File menu at the top left of the page, Click on Settings, Browser, and under User Interface, put a dot in Show the Bookmarks bar. Now click on in Opera 20 again the File menu at the top left of the page, click on more Tools, and click on Bookmark importer. And then choose to connvert the Opera 12 bookmarks into Opera 20. I would definitely convert to the bookmarks bar (which will run across the top of the browser), and use the Speed Dial for what you want to highlight/emphasize/give quick access to, but you have a choice.
I hope that helps 🙂 Ignore some of the earlier material in this thread, as this issue has become clearer to me more recently. At some point you might want to add a bookmark manager extension but for the moment, see about getting the bookmarks transferred to the bookmarks bar.