When you hear the word ‘internet browser’, most people think of Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox. However, trailing in at a distant 4^th (possibly 5^th if you count Apple iOS’s Safari) is Opera.
Made by a Norwegian design team, Opera has always had a small but dedicated following of users. Wikipedia claims that Opera’s usage numbers hover around 5%, which is actually a fairly sizable number of people. When you consider that billions of people around the world now use the internet, 5% market share ends up representing several million users.
If you’re tired of using Chrome/Firefox/Internet Explorer, then there has never been a better time to make the switch to Opera. The recently released Opera 12 has expanded the browser’s functionality to offer better security and expanded themes.
As far as security features go, Opera 12’s most noticeable addition is an overhauled badge that makes it easy for users to see exactly what kind of information a website is trying to extract from your PC.
Meanwhile, there are hundreds of themes to choose from, and users can customize their browser with anything from the Cookie Monster to Halo. Plugins also give users the ability to speed up their internet and expand the browser’s functionality, much like the add-ons and plugins we’ve become used to in other browsers.
To download Opera today, click here.
Already have Opera installed? Check out the changelog list for the new Opera 12.00