Why Opera is Clearly the Superior Browser
I often find myself wondering why people absolutely hate Opera for no good reason. Opera is the underdog of browsers, but it's clearly the superior choice.
I remember when I heard about the Opera browser for the first time... The year was 2012, I had a slick prepaid phone with a pull-out keyboard (I know), and I was obsessed with Wii Tennis despite the many injuries to myself and my surroundings. That is, until I learned, that I could search the internet on my Wii.
gasp
What is this off-brand, hand-me-down browser on here? Oprah? Oprah has her own browser now? I'd sign up for that. No, wait... it's OPERA.
And then I never used Opera again. True story.
Until recently, that is. As a UX Designer for an international company, I found myself frequently frustrated trying to research international companies that have great UX. Because no matter what I did, the websites still saw me as someone from North America and altered my experience. That, my friends, is when I discovered Opera.
And it's so much better. I don't know why I hated it before.
Here are 6 reasons you should switch to Opera right. now.
1. Built-in VPN
I don't know about y'all, but I like knowing that my data is safe when I'm browsing the web. I like knowing that my searches are not being tracked. And, I like knowing that no one can access my files on a public network. This happens all the time, by the way. There's plenty of awesome VPN software out there, but they're all paid. Opera gives you a VPN for free. With Unlimited data.
Why having a VPN matters:
- Truly incognito search. (Lookin' at you, Google).
- You can safely browse the web with encrypted data, while keeping true anonymity.
- Watch those Youtube shows that aren't available in your country. Censorship, begone!
- Easily change the country/location that you're searching from. I've done this many times researching international experiences on the web.Embedded iFrame
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2. Built-in Ad-Blocker
This one is pretty self-explanatory. No extensions needed. Cut out them ads. Easily toggle this feature on and off if you need to access one of those sites that "requires" you to see ads.
3. Built-in Workspaces
Do you have 1 million tabs open at the same time? Can you not even see the name of the page anymore? Well has Opera gotten the solution for you. Chrome has a helpful extension called Workona that accomplishes the same thing.
Create multiple workspaces with different tabs and switch between each with ease. Organizing your thoughts and research into buckets helps tremendously with getting work done.
4. Built-in Music Player
When I work, I like to listen to music and podcasts. Using Spotify, I'd have to switch back and forth between screens all day to switch songs. With the Big Sur update, Apple has now alleviated this problem with the toolbar, but for those without it's still frustrating. On Opera, you can manage music from Spotify, Apple Music, and Youtube music from one place.
5. Seamless Phone-to-Computerness
Ever do research on your phone while your computer waits patiently at home, only to have to re-google what you were looking for? With Opera's "Workflow" feature, you can easily send sites between your phone and your computer with ease.
6. Lightning Fast
Even though Opera runs on Chromium (AKA what Chrome runs on), it's still faster than any other browser. Faster than a frog hopping on July asphalt right before it dies.
Honorable Mentions
These are things that I feel are important enough to mention, but each doesn't have enough to cover an entire section.
- Take Screenshots from the browser. I always forget which key is the snapshot key, and then where to find it.
- Quick messaging. On the sidebar, there's a tab for Whatsapp, Instagram, and Messenger always present, so that you don't have to have separate tabs or windows open for messaging.
- Battery Saving Mode. Opera has a battery-saving option that helps keep your computer running when you need it the most.
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