Opera Software has released Opera 8.01 Technical Preview 1 for Windows. Important changes include several crash fixes and a plugged memory leak related to XMLHttpRequest.
Opera 8.01 Technical Preview 1 for Windows
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
Looks like the Netflix site actually works this time around
today in the evening after several hours of usage my computer started to crawl cause Opera was using something like 300mb memory (i usually keep gmail open in one tab)
so this comes as a good news for me!
used 8beta & didnt have any probs with it. The program itself seems to load a bit quicker than the beta, almost as quick as what IE loads.
Lets hope the new update feature in Opera is able to get everyone to upgrade to the latest version. It’s sad when I still see people using 7.23.
I am using Opera 8 with mixed feeling. I have problem with the “simplified” UI to begin with – simplified for Opera means hiding stuff, so that you spend more time to reach dialogs, etc.
And then Opera 8 for Linux has a broken MDI interface: Unless you can remember the magic key stroke mapped for it, here is no way to unmaximize or minimize a maximized page. Opera: Thank you very much!
And therefore, please do not complain that people are still using 7.23. It is definitively a fine version, and people definitively have good reasons to stick with it.
“And then Opera 8 for Linux has a broken MDI interface”
Can I assume you’ve already set Extras -> settings -> windows -> advanced MDI?
MDI works fine here in the Linux version of Opera 7.6 beta (that became version 8). Obviously though I’ve been scared to upgrade
I had a page on ebay that opera 8 did crash on every time in this build it did work.
I also had the GMail Problem. Opera has eaten 300mb of my beloved RAM, while having GMail open in one Tab.
Gmail + Opera made me uninstrall opera 8.
See the table problem in Opera.
http://ccapeng.blogspot.com/2005/05/opera-table-problem-when-multip…
It is a BIG thing to complain about. Since people don’t upgrade, webmasters must test sites against many more versions of Opera to support it properly. Partly because of this, usually they just don’t support it at all.
Can I assume you’ve already set Extras -> settings -> windows -> advanced MDI?
MDI works fine here in the Linux version of Opera 7.6 beta (that became version 8).
Lucky you, for using 7.6 beta. Opera 8.0 (Final build 1095) here does hot have anything like what you mentioned.
It is a BIG thing to complain about. Since people don’t upgrade, webmasters must test sites against many more versions of Opera to support it properly.
Then, Opera should make sure they do not break the continuity of their UI with each 2nd version. This was a big reason for people sticking with Opera 5, and now the same deja vu now with Opera 8.
how ’bout the check box “show close button on each tab”??
when unchecking it, I got a perfectly good MDI interface.
No, you did not understand either my posting or the MDI concept. Closing a tab is not the issue, MDI consists also of minimizing and unmaximizing – and I explicitly said that.
When I browse many web pages at once, I like to use the ordering of the tabs as a “stack”, and sometimes manipulate the ordering by minimizing the window. With the mouse at least, this is not possible anymore (well, there are ways you can add “substitue buttons” by editing the configuration file, but this is a bit way off user-friendly).
A “MDI” where you can close, but not minimize or unmaximize a maximized window is definitively not “a perfectly good MDI interface”.
I thought it’s obvious it’s not about UI! It’s about rendering engine producing different results (improving)
Please read the previous postings. The discussion started with tram expressing his concern why people are still using Opera 7.x. I want to state that there is good reason to stick with Opera 7.x, even with the 8.x rendering engine (even when it is improving).
And I think I am not the only one who chose Opera because of the UI, and not the rendering engine. In fact, I do not consider the rendering engine to be really good, poorly written without much knowledge and testing of the font scaling. I have a display with > 100 dpi resolution, with much tuning it is possible to get the display right, but forget printing – unless you like to print your web pages with poster sized fonts (and beside that, the word spacing is broken).
Huh? My first post was of course not concerning UI, but major (unrelated to UI…) problem with NOT-changing versions (around which the discussion was centered). Are you saying, by implying that I didn’t understood previous discussion, that I’m not allowed to put up unrelated to UI contrargument to your reasoning for sticking with older version?
But adressing what you’ve said in second paragraph: I’m not the only one who personally know webmasters who won’t support Opera simply because it would involve too much testing time: whereas in case of Mozilla & IE most users browse with ~the same version, Opera users don’t follow this trend, so for the site to be “tested with Opera” webmaster must check it with many versions (not that bad…) and possibly change it many times (much worse…). Do you really don’t see this as a major problem, much greater than slight changes in UI? I’d really suggest adapting (don’t tell me you aren’t able to do this) to the knew version – it will help Opera a lot.
You know, I have a theory why (among other causes) Opera has 7% of browser market in my country – since virtually everyone is using latest version, supporting Opera is no hassle for web designers.
1. I think we basically talking orthogonally to each other. I am saying using older Version of Opera is not the users’ fault, you are saying it is a problem.
2. To the next paragraph:
Do you really don’t see this as a major problem, much greater than slight changes in UI?
No. My first concern is the reason why I use Opera in the first place, and (so as many others) this is because of the UI.
I’d really suggest adapting (don’t tell me you aren’t able to do this) to the knew version – it will help Opera a lot.
This is not the point. Opera is a commercial browser, it is neither the problem, nor should it be the burden of the users to adapt themselves to whatever stupidity somebody decided to ship.
By the way, I do use Opera 8 at the moment, but this is for a completely different reason: Opera 7.x (from the first to the last version) crashs reproducibly on some web pages I visit (the best of all: when you try to close the tab). They finally fixed it…
Well, for most, the reason to use Opera was NOT because of UI (or at least they don’t mention it, so…) – well, GUI, to be precise, but since only that changed a little (not in the parts that were praised)…
And as you point out, Opera is commercial browser – and that’s exactly why they made changes – to capture larger part of the market (OTOH noncommerciall do that as well). This is the goal of all commercial software; if it faces perspective of changes that will perhaps fed up few old users but bring a lot of new ones, it will make them probably.
And furthermore, broader Opera usage lies in interest of its users, but diversity of versions works against it by creating little chicken-egg problem; it would be most optimal for broader deployment of Opera if almost all users would have latest version…
Well, for most, the reason to use Opera was NOT because of UI
I disagree. Opera was used by many because of its configurability, and even wealth of settings. At least until 8.
By the way, UI stands for user interface, which is a completely correct term. And to be precise, GUI is even less correct, since the only (default) way to minimize a maximized tab is not graphical, but to press a pre-configured key.
And furthermore, broader Opera usage lies in interest of its users,
This depends. Users are not static and have the ability to switch browsers. For example, with Opera 6.x’s rendering corrupted on ~ a 120 dpi (which is not even much) display and Opera using almost 1 year to fix my reported bug, it was in the interest of my eyes to use Mozilla instead.
but diversity of versions works against it by creating little chicken-egg problem; it would be most optimal for broader deployment of Opera if almost all users would have latest version…
This is a problem Opera creates itself, by ignoring the continuity in its UI. Sofar the biggest fraction of user I have heard of that refuses to migrate to 8 is because of the UI.
Apart from the fact that I don’t know not even one user who didn’t move to 8 because of GUI (yes, GUI – I’ll explain) changes (people here are more adaptive? ;P ), I disagree vastly with your conclusions. Yes, “Opera was used by many because of its configurability, and even wealth of settings.”, but THOSE FEATURES DIDN’T CHANGE ALMOST AT ALL. Have you even looked closely at new Opera? And I know the difference between UI and GUI (again you seem to treat me, well, like an idiot…I treat you much better so far), I used the term GUI preciselly because of its narrower meaning – because the GUI is effectively everything that changed in UI of Opera (keys,etc. still the same…).
And yes, broader use lies always in the interest of users of software such as browsers – without exceptions. Simply because browser is not used in isolation, it is a software to acces remote content which is totally independant. And this content better be compatible. But why would anyone check compatibility for niche software? Of course issue you describe has influence on scope of use…but it doesn’t change the above conclusion.
And furthermore, your final observation (but conclusion is somehow correct…) definetely isn’t correct in my “surroundings” (both physical and among my net contacts). As I said, not even one hasn’t migrated from 7 to 8 after learning it is free for them (some didn’t because they thought they have to pay). Few webmasters I’ve spoken to said the the biggest part of non-8 Operas were 6 (with small numbers of 5&7). I’d therefore guess the problem isn’t change of GUI at all – it’s unwilling to pay again for Opera. And that is of course the problem Opera somehow creates…(OTOH such it isn’t alone in practice of charging for new versions – everybody does that)
I treat you much better so far
Hmm, let’s see:
– “Have you even looked closely at new Opera?” – where as I stated that I am using Opera, and I am using it RIGHT HOW.
– “Apart from the fact that I don’t know not even one user who didn’t move to 8 because of GUI” – you do not know means I am not permitted to know? And yet you said in previous posting: “Opera has 7% of browser market in my country – since virtually everyone is using latest version” -fascinating, your country is the world … What is your theory, people do not migrate just for fun?.
– And last but not least:
I used the term GUI preciselly because of its narrower meaning – because the GUI is effectively everything that changed in UI of Opera
GUI is a component of UI, UI is absolutely suitable to use as the word hier. I chose UI because (I explained) I felt that this is the scope of discussion. And: within GUI, the MDI is completely broken. No, your narrow-minded comment that if I do not know the difference between GUI and UI.
(keys,etc. still the same…).
This is very simple to defining a backward compatible shortcut profile, or it must be real stuipidity to even break this (by the way it is not “the same”, it is just backward compatible).
And yes, broader use lies always in the interest of users of software such as browsers – without exceptions.
Hmm, and now a UI that cannot be switched back is in the broader interest? Or is this a sign that backward compatibility is too hard?
I guess in total it is pointless to continue any discussion with you here. You seems to be yet another person who “likes” a piece of software so much that any ability for factual critism is lost.
And maybe you should reread your postings: Having three buttons on the top right for minimizing, unmaximizing and closing a MDI window is definitively not the end of Opera’s usability. And it will definitively not deter even a single new user to use Opera. Please do not try to desperately defend Opera: the three MDI buttons being missing is very likely a bug/other human mistake.
Please do not try to desperately defend Opera: the three MDI buttons being missing is very likely a bug/other human mistake.
The three buttons are not there by default, but you can optionally have them if you want. What’s wrong with that? Normal or new Opera users will probably find the new interface easier to use while advanced users can always quickly change it in Preferences.
1. Comprehend the meaning of word “closely” in your sprae time
2. Use your imagination somehwere else, I didn’t say that. Furthermore, the use of word “apart” strongly suggest that I didn’t use it as argument, but apparently you don’t want to see that.
3. Of course UI is suitable, but GUI more precisely (I have a impression I said this already, but oh well…) describes the subject of changes in Opera UI. Non-GUI Opera interfaces virtually didn’t change.
4. OK, virtually the same – happy? And wy I have impression that you would like Opera to stagnate…
5. You seem to not realise the fact that Opera 8 can be brought with a little work to a state very closely resembling 7 (again, the meaning of “closely”)
And about fanboyism – boss shot!
Opera is not my main browser, I simply use it when it’s best for the particular use – based purely on racionalisation, as my arguments in this thread.