Opera 11 - Web browser

WEB BROWSER
Opera 11
www.opera.com/browser/next
Min requirements: Windows XP / Vista / 7, Mac OS X or Linux
File size: 6.9MB

Opera rarely gets the attention it deserves which is a shame because it is actually a very good browser. The latest release introduces several new features most notably support for extensions. When you run the program it loads the Opera Extensions page where you can peruse the available add-ons and install any that take your fancy. There is a decent selection available including an ad blocker and the LastPass password manager. Extensions work immediately and don't require a browser restart. Tab Stacks is similar in concept to Firefox 4's Panorama feature and lets you arrange open tabs into groups on the tab bar. To use this tool simply drag one tabe on top of another. The tabs will merge into a single option with an arrow to the right. Click this and the tabs contained in the stack will slide into view. You can see thumbnails of all the tabs in a stack at any time by hovering your mouse over it.Opera 11 is noticeably faster than previous versions but you can make it even speedier by choosing to load plug-ins such as Adobe Flash on demand. Go to Settings, Preferences slick the Advanced tab and under Contents tick Enable Plug-ins Only On Demand. When you visit a website you can check its status by clicking the security badge to the left of the address bar. Sites that are secure (such as Gmail) will have a yellow badge while trusted sites (such as PayPal) will display a green one. Other features worth mentioning include support for Google's search predictions and improved mouse gestures.