``Opera has changed so much that I don't use it anymore,'' says an expert.



Opera, a web browser originating from Norway, is known as the ` `strongest legend of Opera, '' and although it is a niche browser, it is a persistently popular browser. Technology journalist Corbin Davenport declared that he would stop using Opera and its derivative browser Opera GX , saying, ``It was a great web browser, but it's no longer useful,'' and explained the reason on his blog.

Stop using Opera Browser and Opera GX
https://www.spacebar.news/stop-using-opera-browser/

◆Opera's progress so far
Opera is a web browser released in 1995, and because it was initially paid software, there were fewer users compared to Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator, which were mainstream at the time, and even in its heyday it was a niche browser, Davenport said. Looking back.

After that, Opera became a browser that could be used for free instead of displaying advertisements with Opera 5.0 released in 2000, and in 2005, it removed advertisements and shifted to a business model that relied on revenue from Google.

Despite this history, Opera was supported by passionate users because it was a high-quality product. Mr. Davenport describes the mobile version of Opera Mini , released in 2005, as ``one of the best browsers of the 2000s,'' and also praises the fact that Opera led the development of browsers for the Nintendo DS and Wii. I am evaluating it.

After that, Opera stopped developing its own engine Presto in 2013 and moved to a Chromium-based browser like Google Chrome.

Opera announces transition to WebKit + V8 engine, ending 18 years of history - GIGAZINE



A turning point for Opera was when it was acquired by a Chinese company in 2016. The development of the Opera brand was taken over by a company called Opera Limited, which is affiliated with a Chinese company, and Opera Software, which was responsible for the original Opera, was renamed Otello Corporation and became an advertising company unrelated to Opera Limited.

◆Opera problem 1: Fraudulent loan application problem and privacy
Since then, Opera has continued to be developed in Norway, but in 2020, the financial research company Hindenburg Research accused ``Opera's developer is distributing an app that fraudulently allows people to take out short-term loans with extremely high interest rates.'' It has been done. Information regarding this issue is summarized in the following article.

It turns out that Opera Software was illegally making money with a profiteering loan application of up to 876%, and if it is caught, there is a possibility that the Opera browser will be terminated - GIGAZINE



According to the report in question, OKash, a loan app operated by Opera in Kenya and other countries, asked users for permission to access their phone contacts and collected their phone numbers. If the user failed to pay, threatening messages were sent to the user's contacts.

Hindenburg Research is a company that profits from the decline in stock prices caused by short selling, so the accusations should be taken with a certain degree of discount. Also, since it is only the loan app that was criticized, it is not directly related to the browser.

However, Mr. Davenport said, ``Browsers handle personal information such as passwords and credit card information. Given the inappropriate handling of information by loan apps, we cannot entrust personal information to such companies.'' said.

◆Opera problem 2: Shift to following immediate trends
As mentioned above, Opera became a Chromium-based browser in 2013, so the differences from similar browsers are limited to interface-related features. Davenport also believes that because Opera doesn't have the backing of a large company, it has no choice but to include revenue-motivated features such as an ad-supported news feed.

However, even with this in mind, Opera's trend line is noticeable. One example of Opera jumping on the latest trend is Opera Neon, released in 2017.

Review of 'Opera Neon', a new browser with a 'futuristic feel', equipped with a new UI that allows for side-by-side display - GIGAZINE



Opera Neon was updated for several months, then quietly discontinued. However, since it remains publicly available at the time of article creation, there is a serious security risk. When Davenport actually downloaded Opera Neon for Mac, the last build date was March 28, 2017.

Opera's next focus was Web3 and cryptocurrencies. In 2018, Opera added support for Ethereum decentralized applications (Dapps) as well as a cryptocurrency wallet to its desktop and Android versions.

Furthermore, Opera invested $30 million (approximately 4.4 billion yen) in a cryptocurrency startup called ICST, but four days later, ICST's CEO was arrested for financial crimes, as pointed out by the aforementioned Hindenburg Research. Masu.

Still, Opera continues to lean toward blockchain technology, releasing Opera Crypto Browser, an NFT -specific browser, in 2022.

Opera announces beta version of crypto browser ``Opera Crypto Browser'', making it easier to purchase NFT etc. - GIGAZINE



Opera's blockchain obsession will end with the death of the NFT market . Opera's official blog has not announced any new features related to virtual currency since May 2023, and the Opera Crypto Browser download page was quietly deleted by December 2023.

In addition, in June 2023, Opera changed the name of its main browser to ``Opera One'' and integrated its own generation AI ``Aria'', but Davenport also said that ``I am trying to capitalize on the hype of AI.'' 'Like most products that try to make a profit, at heart it's just OpenAI's GPT.'

◆Opera problem 3: Opera GX
Opera GX is a gaming-specific browser released by Opera in 2019. According to Opera, as of July 2023, the desktop version has 18.2 million users and the mobile version has 3.4 million users. Different from regular browsers, there is integration with Twitch and the 'GX Corner' that provides game-related news, as well as the ability to limit CPU and RAM usage so as not to take away game resources. It has been well received.

Opera GX is also actively disseminating game events and internet memes from the Opera GX We are doing a lot of marketing.



Opera GX itself has not caused any particular problems, but Opera GX is suspected of inflating the number of viewers by embedding GX Aura's first broadcast on Twitch in the GX corner, and It is said that users are dissatisfied with the display of an advertising movie in which Eric Andre screams.

You can see how Opera GX starts up from below.

random opera gx screaming dude(eric andre) - YouTube


◆Conclusion
For this reason, Davenport says, ``It's better not to use Opera's stuff, because it chases trends and extracts as much money as possible from its dwindling number of users. 'It's all about stealing money from the country's poor and reaching gamers by posting memes on social media. And there are very few features in Opera that aren't in competing browsers.'

According to Mr. Davenport, it is better not to use not only Opera but also Brave.

◆Forum now open
A forum related to this article has been set up on the GIGAZINE official Discord server . Anyone can write freely, so please feel free to comment! If you do not have a Discord account, please create one by referring to the article explaining how to create an account!

• Discord | “Have you ever used the web browser “Opera”? How long did you use it? ' | GIGAZINE
https://discord.com/channels/1037961069903216680/1200387396609523762

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