This is such a shame! But we've been expecting it for quite some time already.
Like Zare, I've been using Opera for 13 years (since around 2000) after dropping the dead/dying Netscape.
They really ****** this up big time. But I guess they didn't really care about the "power users" after all. Since founder and former CEO Von Tetzchner left they've been restructuring their business and targeting mobile users more and more. It was only a matter of time before they dropped Presto for a more mainstream engine and started dumbing down the interface for the smartphone generation.
morbit said:
Real problem is that there is no drop-in replacement.
All browsers suck and are dependence heavy.
Exactly! That was one of the main advantages of Opera, another one being that it was the most customizable browser EVER.
mix_room said:
I agree with many others, I lost interest in Opera when it started using the Chrome engine. I really liked Opera though.
Same here. As I posted on their blog, every time they release a new Next version (for Windows), I try it for a few minutes and then remove it. It's really disappointing!
kpedersen said:
Should we perhaps all get together and send Opera a polite email to keep support?
If you followed the Opera forums and blog more closely, you'd understand what a waste of time that would be. Since they released version 15, literally *thousands* of users, including me, have been asking them to keep the interface (at the very least) and requesting back many of the removed features. To no avail. I've seen hundreds of active users leave over the last few months.
Opera is becoming a radically different browser and most of its loyal user base will be replaced. Only one problem: why would anyone want to switch to Opera? So far, I haven't seen any competitive advantage over Chrome/ium. If they stay the course, I expect they will join Netscape in the annals of browser history.
kpedersen said:
Do you think it would work or is the issue that the version of Chrome/Blink they are using is proprietary and they don't have a choice in the matter.
Being proprietary has never prevented Opera ASA from supporting FreeBSD or Linux. And Blink is
open source anyway.