Opera...the multi-tabbed browser that claims to be the fastest browser on earth has just released Preview 2 of the next major revision. Opera is unique in the fact that it supports virtually every eletronic platform in existance...FreeBSD, Linux, MacOS, Windows, Cell phones, PDA's...you name it!
=== Major New Features ===
* Chat Revisited *
Every aspect of Opera Chat has been improved. There's a new identd server to make connecting to IRC easier. We've fixed several other usability bugs with Opera Chat. You can now add IRC nicknames for your contacts and they'll show up in the Chat panel when they're online or away. Right-clicking in the Chat panel gives you the opportunity to set your away status. Don't forget to join us at #opera on irc.opera.com for some great chat!
* Favicons in Bookmarks *
Having trouble finding bookmarks? Opera now saves favicons in the Bookmarks panel, Bookmarks menu, and Personal bar. It's easier than ever to find the bookmarks you're looking for.
* M2 Optimized *
Building on the success from 7.50 Preview 1, we've polished M2 so it's ready for general use. We've fixed several problems that could lead to message loss. We've sped up reindexing, importing, downloading messages, reading messages; well, just about everything. It's now easier to mark messages as spam and marking messages as "Not spam" doesn't add a new contact. New mail notification is now more clear, too. Clicking on the notification tooltip will open your Unread view. The Mail panel selector button will show the number of messages in your Unread view and is highlighted when there's new mail since last you looked. Take the new M2 for a spin, we're sure you'll like her.
* Start Panel 2.0 *
While still experimental, the Start panel has come a long way. The Start panel is now fully customizable. You can drag buttons and edit fields there, so you can make it suit your needs. And the slim and maximized Start panels can be customized with different buttons and fields. Got a search you think everyone should know about? You can make it a link on your web page that others can drag to their Start panel!
* Transfers Made Easier *
To keep useless information about downloads out of your face until you can actually use the file, we've made it so the Transfers panel doesn't open automatically. The Transfers button in the panel selector now includes the time remaining and the number of downloads. And when a download completes, a tooltip lets you know and the Transfer panel selector button is highlighted.
* Panels Improved *
The panels are now more usable and flexible. Maximized panels have different toolbar buttons than slim panels. And they have additional columns, providing usual information. The History panel, for instance, will tell you the pages you've visited most in the Popularity column. To make it easier to get info from the panels into Opera's work space, single clicking on panel items now activates them. Want to hide the panel selector to get a little more work space? No problem, just put your mouse at the edge of Opera's window, click, and it gets hidden.
* Chat Revisited *
Every aspect of Opera Chat has been improved. There's a new identd server to make connecting to IRC easier. We've fixed several other usability bugs with Opera Chat. You can now add IRC nicknames for your contacts and they'll show up in the Chat panel when they're online or away. Right-clicking in the Chat panel gives you the opportunity to set your away status. Don't forget to join us at #opera on irc.opera.com for some great chat!
* Favicons in Bookmarks *
Having trouble finding bookmarks? Opera now saves favicons in the Bookmarks panel, Bookmarks menu, and Personal bar. It's easier than ever to find the bookmarks you're looking for.
* M2 Optimized *
Building on the success from 7.50 Preview 1, we've polished M2 so it's ready for general use. We've fixed several problems that could lead to message loss. We've sped up reindexing, importing, downloading messages, reading messages; well, just about everything. It's now easier to mark messages as spam and marking messages as "Not spam" doesn't add a new contact. New mail notification is now more clear, too. Clicking on the notification tooltip will open your Unread view. The Mail panel selector button will show the number of messages in your Unread view and is highlighted when there's new mail since last you looked. Take the new M2 for a spin, we're sure you'll like her.
* Start Panel 2.0 *
While still experimental, the Start panel has come a long way. The Start panel is now fully customizable. You can drag buttons and edit fields there, so you can make it suit your needs. And the slim and maximized Start panels can be customized with different buttons and fields. Got a search you think everyone should know about? You can make it a link on your web page that others can drag to their Start panel!
* Transfers Made Easier *
To keep useless information about downloads out of your face until you can actually use the file, we've made it so the Transfers panel doesn't open automatically. The Transfers button in the panel selector now includes the time remaining and the number of downloads. And when a download completes, a tooltip lets you know and the Transfer panel selector button is highlighted.
* Panels Improved *
The panels are now more usable and flexible. Maximized panels have different toolbar buttons than slim panels. And they have additional columns, providing usual information. The History panel, for instance, will tell you the pages you've visited most in the Popularity column. To make it easier to get info from the panels into Opera's work space, single clicking on panel items now activates them. Want to hide the panel selector to get a little more work space? No problem, just put your mouse at the edge of Opera's window, click, and it gets hidden.
