Opera has released version 10.52 for the Mac. “The new Opera is designed with Mac in mind. This version boasts an improved user interface, Cocoa integration, multi-touch trackpad gestures and Growl support. This, combined with the unprecedented speed from the new JavaScript engine, Carakan, and the new graphic library, Vega, provides a faster and smoother browsing experience. The new Opera also features the latest in Web standards, including leading SVG support and HTML 5 video.” Only Linux remains, now.
Not only Linux, but FreeBSD as well
AFAIK, all BSDs have a Linux emulation layer on them.
I once ran Opera for Linux in my NetBSD through its emulatioin layer…. so, when the Linux will be ready for Linux, it will be ready for all the BSDs too.
FreeBSD has for a while now had a native port of Opera. NetBSD/OpenBSD/DragonFly haven’t.
BSD users shouldn’t have to use a Linux compatibility/emulation layer to run any programs. And I’m not even a BSD user. All programs should be… you know… native to the operating system running them. Same reason I’m sure many Linux users dread having to break out (or even install) Wine to run Windows programs.
Luckily Opera does have a FreeBSD version, and Linux/BSD are similar (UNIX-like, X.Org, etc.), so I doubt they’ll make any drastic changes like they are with the Linux vs. Windows vs. Mac versions, hopefully leading to a release of both at the same time. I don’t think they support NetBSD or OpenBSD though, and I don’t know if those actually have Linux compatibility or not… but it shouldn’t matter. Native support is always better.
So I guess Opera software has lost the desire to provide a web browser for the Linux community. Thats fine, we have other options but I find it very disheartening that they are treating Linux like a second class citizen and dont care about the community. How long has 10.5 been out for Windows? What about the Mac? Yet no word on Linux? Thats OK, their choice but they are going to lose mindshare. I like using products I can use on multiple platforms, Linux, Windows and Mac. I cant get an up to date browser on one, I will just go ahead and use Firefox and Chrome and uninstall Opera from my PC’s. I was such a fan of Opera too.
If you enter to the Opera website from a computer running Linux, you will see: “Download Opera version 10.10 for Linux (Opera 10.50 available shortly)”. That’s a very similar text found when you accessed to the Opera website from a Mac until yesterday.
I do not think Opera will stop to release its browser for Linux; Opera’s people just invested all their resources (or a big part) to Windows and Mac platforms given their marketshare. I also think the marketshare for Opera in Linux is higher than in the other platforms (though I am just speculating here) and Linux is the platform where they can implement the core things for Linux based smartphones.
Edited 2010-04-28 02:39 UTC
ALL 10.5 releases are big, probably much bigger than an Opera release has been in… who knows how long. And not only that, 10.5 marks the time when each version will be distinct from one another, taking its entire GUI layout/theme from the OS it is running on. I’m sure you noticed the (abysmal) Windows theme (luckily you can turn that big, ugly button off and switch back to the classic menu style…).
The Mac version also feels more built-into the OS judging from everything I’ve read, though I can’t verify since I don’t run Mac and honestly don’t really care. And the Linux version? Well, that one is getting a facelift of its own–it’s being redesigned to look like a native GTK+ program, making it look like a proper GTK app and cutting some of the extra weight for those who don’t run KDE. There were some screenshots posted somewhere around the time of the 10.5 Windows Alpha release, of the in-development Linux version.
So really… just wait and see. I can certainly see why Opera is taking longer than usual to support Mac/Linux/etc.–this kind of stuff (separation) takes time. Normally, every version gets released simultaneously, but I’d say they have good enough reasons to delay 10.5 across platforms. If the other OSes still seem neglected with versions proceeding 10.52… *then* you can start getting worried.
As a company, would it *really* be a good idea to delay *all* versions until they are all complete? Seriously. Think about how much time between the original Windows release and the eventual Linux release. IMO, they’re doing fine.
Meh its ok but too bad Opera is still using QuickDraw rather than adopting Core Animation which would take advantage of the OpenGL pipeline. One step forward, three steps backwards. Time that Opera got its act together and producing a decent browser with plugin isolation, tab isolation and not dependent API’s that have died long ago on the Mac platform.
Maybe Linux distros should decide to support only one browser and somebody else should come up with a Browser Ballot suggestion… 😉
That already exists. It’s called Synaptic. Oh, wait…
Edited 2010-04-28 10:13 UTC
Everyone in this discussion expecting a Linux release should just look here.
http://www.opera.com/browser/next/“