Opera 7.20 for Windows introduces unprecedented speed boost
Oslo, Norway – September 23, 2003
Opera Software today unleashed the final Opera 7.20 for Windows, making the latest in Web technology available for the millions of users in need of a better browser. This version fine-tunes speed and performance, adds support for bidirectional languages such as Arabic and Hebrew, and lets users of the ad-sponsored version choose to receive either relevant text-based ads served by Google or generic graphical ads. Opera 7.20 is a substantial upgrade, increasing performance in the fastest, smallest, most full-featured desktop browser ever released.
Press reports indicate that Opera is currently the only major commercial player continuing to push browser development, offering a vast number of new users a continually up-to-date and enhanced Internet experience. That the need for a better browser than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is great as evidenced by Opera’s popularity. Already in August, Opera 7 passed a new milestone with over 10 million copies downloaded just from www.opera.com. In addition to the copies downloaded from Opera’s homepage are the many millions more downloaded from other sites around the world.
“With Opera 7.20 we again prove our determination to break new ground with every major release,” says Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “Opera remains the undisputed speed champ, true to its tagline as ‘The Fastest Browser on Earth’, while also including unique features in a package small enough to fit on a mobile phone.”
Classic Opera innovations like mouse gestures, integrated search, and multiple document interface have redefined for millions how to get the most out of the Web. Opera’s 7-series continues this proud tradition by introducing powerful new features like the FastForward button, the built-in e-mail client, and spatial navigation, changing forever how users interact with their keyboard when online.
Features in Opera’s 7-series include:
New rendering engine
Opera’s new rendering engine supports W3C’s DOM (Document Object Model) level 2, non-standard dynamic HTML (DHTML), CSS1 and CSS2, ECMAScript, and has improved HTML 4.01 support, as well as complete support for WML 1.3 and 2.0. It is faster, smaller and can dynamically change documents through DOM.
Built-in e-mail client
Opera’s new e-mail client, M2, automatically categorizes and sorts e-mail messages by contact and has an integrated spam filter. Innovative features such as QuickReply and QuickFind let users answer or find e-mails at unrivalled speed. M2 supports POP3, IMAP, ESMTP, and threaded display of mailing lists. In addition, the e-mail client supports news servers with password authentication.
Small-Screen Rendering (SSR)
Web developers can test and see how their pages would look on a smaller mobile devices by simply pressing [Shift+F11] to enable Opera’s small- screen mode. With Opera’s breakthrough SSR technology Web pages are reformatted to fit smaller screens, while maintaining all functionality.
The Wand
Opera now offers one-click log-in to password protected sites. Log-in fields with available passwords are marked with a slick golden rim, and access is provided by simply clicking the Wand icon or the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Enter.
FastForward
Now the pages you will want to visit next are immediately available with just another click of the mouse or tap on the keyboard. Opera will try to detect the most likely “next page” link. If available, Forward will change to FastForward, greatly simplifying navigation in multi-page documents. This feature can also be combined with The Wand, providing immediate “FastForward” access to password protected sites.
Links panel
Opera 7 includes a new, easier way to navigate pages. The hotlist now includes a links panel by default. In the panel, all the links in the current page are listed, with icons for common types like images and movies. Links can then be easily selected for quick navigation or download. In addition, a page’s panel can be ‘locked’ to keep its particular link list available when users move over to other pages, making it possible to click the page’s links when on a completely other part of the Web.
Spatial navigation
Want to stretch the limits for what you can do with your keyboard? Now you can easily move around on pages by combining the Shift and arrow keys, gaining quick access to links and any other navigational elements available.
Multiple user style sheets
Opera comes equipped with 11 new style sheets, varying from helpful features for users and developers, to the more zany like a Commodore 64 browser emulator. Users annoyed by a particular Web author’s design preferences, or who suffer from visual impairments, can now get an easy fix in Opera. By choosing style sheets such as “Accessibility layout” or “High contrast B/W” users can in a snap modify pages for an easy read. Developers immediately benefit from features such as viewing structural elements without constantly reverting to its source code, or just clicking for a page’s outline for easy debugging. Fans of good old text browsing can get excited over the new text-browser emulator, one of the many options available.
New navigation bar
On sites that support navigation through link tags, users have more control over how they interact with Web pages. The site navigation will be displayed in the navigation bar, and the navigation menu will feel the same to the user regardless of site.
Sleek new look
Enjoy a new user interface with 3D buttons and enhanced alphablended effects.
Hotlist
Bookmarks and history, windows sessions and e-mail can now be managed via the Hotlist and shown respectively as bookmarks, history, e-mail, or windows panel. Manage your downloads and transfers via the floatable download and transfer manager with extensive drag-and-drop support.
Skinning
Changing the look of a browser has never been easier with Opera’s new one- click skin install. Just pick and click once on any of the many skins available online. The skin is downloaded and applied, and users can choose to keep or remove the new skin. As a further enhancement, even changes in the coloring of skins can be altered by selecting a color scheme from the View menu.
Window management
Instead of having to choose between multiple and single document interface (MDI/SDI) as in Opera 6, users can now combine MDI, SDI and tabbed browsing — without restarting the browser. Users can also save different window combinations as window sessions, or go back and forth between different window sessions.
Multiple or single user accounts
Set up different Opera user profiles in one Opera browser to ensure that all your family members have the Opera set-up and look that suits them best.
Extended and improved drag-and-drop support
Rearrange or move toolbar items using drag-and-drop customization or move bookmarks, tabs, and window sessions (MDI/SDI) URL as shortcuts on the desktop. Open or save any page link.
Powerful panel management
All panels can now be shown, hidden or rearranged at will.
Standards-compliance
Opera continues its commitment to the standards as laid out by the W3C. Opera 7.0 for Windows supports the following technologies: 128-bit encryption, TLS 1.0, SSL 2 and 3, CSS1 and CSS2, XML, HTML 4.01, HTTP 1.1, ECMAScript, JavaScript 1.3, WAP/WML and DOM level 2.
Download Opera
Opera 7 for Windows is available for download from www.opera.com.
See the changelog for Opera 7.20 for Windows.
Availability
The browser is available free of charge with a sponsored advertising banner in the top-right corner of the user interface. New in Opera 7.20 is the option to display relevant information, text-based relevant ads, rather than just generic, graphical ads. The text ads are much less intrusive to Opera’s users. To remove the sponsor banner users can register their version for USD 39. Various discounts apply. Registered users can freely access Opera’s Support desk and enjoy six months of OperaMail Premium for free.
To remove the sponsor banner users can register their version for USD 39. Various discounts apply. Registered users can freely access Opera’s Support desk and enjoy six months of OperaMail Premium for free.