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Wired magazine discusses that "other" browser, you know, the one that costs money but has a free version too...Opera. It even has a Linux version.
When he reads the glowing stories detailing the wonders of the fledgling Firefox web browser, Jon von Tetzchner can't help but wonder why his own baby is so often ignored.
Von Tetzchner is the CEO of Opera Software, maker of the Opera web browser. In the sort of grand comedic tragedy that echoes its name, Opera went from spending almost a decade as Internet Explorer's understudy to getting an occasional polite mention in the cavalcade of media attention currently being directed at the new superstar -- Mozilla's Firefox browser.
But the show ain't over till the fat lady sings. And Opera intends to put on a grand performance this year with a fresh version of its browser, new offices in North America and Asia, an expanded public relations campaign and an increasing emphasis on becoming the browser of choice for entertainment and mobile devices.
"Obviously we would have liked it if Opera got more media attention. At the same time, we believe it is good news that there is more interest in browsers," said von Tetzchner. "We now need to work hard to make the most of this opportunity. We believe we have a product that can handle comparison very well."
Ironically, many of the features that are now favorites among Firefox users first appeared in Opera, such as Multiple Document Interface, known as tabbed browsing in Firefox, and Mouse Gestures, which allow users to control the browser by moving their mouse instead of clicking on icons.
Opera can also match Firefox's boast of enhanced security -- that is, better security than what IE supplies. Full story
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