Opera 64 bit a bit of a slowcoach ...

Bizarrely, Opera's 64 bit version isn't as fast as the 32 bit in this test.

 

I wouldn't put much stock into test results for what is basically a pre-alpha, especially when it comes to the ever so obsessed over Javascript.

 

Yeah, I just thought it was an odd result.

 

It's just nice to see Opera doing something. I mean, if they got any less active, they would be fossilized. I still have hope that someday Opera can come back to the top. There was a time not too many years ago, that Opera ran circles around everybody else, as far as performance, features and stability. There were plenty of times I sat back and watched Opera, thinking "Damn..this thing rocks!". They need the willingness to go the extra mile again, the confidence, the pride. These days, I almost wonder if the devs feel like it's worth heading into work every morning.

 

Yes, I've always thought it had a great deal of potential that was never fully realised. I know that they were once cutting edge. I've always liked it as a browser, but it always disappoints me with something after a while. It's never really worked well in YouTube & some other flash requiring sites for me. Although it has steadily improved.

To be honest, I often think that 'something is rotten in the state of Opera ASA', to badly paraphrase Marcellus in Hamlet. I just don't know what it is. I have sensed a strange tension on their forums recently. There was a strange movement in The Force I think. Either that or those pickled onions I ate are having their revenge. Jokes aside, I really do think that there are some management tensions/problems at Opera ASA.

 

The reason Javascript is "obsessed" over is because it's the heaviest and most common language on the web. Looking at HTML and DOM is fine but really if you want to know how page load times will be you want to know how Javascript executes.

 

I know that, Hungry. But it's not the only factor when it comes to performance. On most sites, I see almost no perceptible difference between browsers. On the ones that do make a difference, they're all slow as cold molasses. I fault website design over browsers in those cases.

 

I think management is their biggest issue. Some of the "old hands" are still at the company, and their skill set didn't just "evaporate". I personally think it's another one of those situations where the "suits" are trying to to the jobs of the guys and gals in the trenches, and relying far too much on trying to stay with the competition instead of ahead of them. In other words, the business side is coming before the development side too much. The devs need to get back in the drivers seat.

 

I would say opera development is quite fast. They are late to the table with 64bit and plugin separation but they still have a much better feature set than other browsers.
I always try all browsers but opera is always my main browser and once process seperation and 64bit are in a stable version of opera i see no reasons to use other browsers unless a rare website doesnt work.

 

That sounds about right.

 

Hmm, I disagree there. Real "features" of Opera are its inclusion of Bittorrent and that web server business. Otherwise they've all but become a "me too" offering. They may send these "features" flying out, but they're broken or buggy, and rarely, if ever truly fixed.

 

LOL! You need a REALLY big bug swatter to get rid of Opera's bugs.

I mean Airbus size big!

 

Im talking about the smaller features such as tab stacks,speed dial,widgets,mail,tab sessions etc. I dont use unite so dont know if its any good. firefox and chrome have the same issue IMO and the problem is that they are minimalist by default but by the time you add all the extensions you have got tons of buttons which dont match.

 

I agree. Most of the time if I see slowdown it's because of large images, which is something that developers need to fix by optimizing their pictures and using better formats like WebP.

 

Images or doing stuff like this: http://icanhascheezburger.com/ One of the worst offending websites out there.

 

NoScript & RequestPolicy were virtually made for sites like that!

 

You'd be surprised at how that site still crawls and stutters even with NoScript. The place is a nightmare, and it's only in the last year that it has been that way. ABP is filled with tweaks for the place, and they don't always stick.

 

Try it with RequestPolicy, I assume you are using Fx.

 

Yes if you cut out 99% of hte pages content it might speed up a bit lol but you'll have to reload and enable thigns until it works.

 

LOL! Yeah, that's the downside.

 

This is where site devs need to be taken out to a sturdy woodshed and dealt with.

 

Yeap...
Since 2007, I've tried every major release of Opera.
However, Opera keeps sending me back to other Browsers...

 

By 2007 you had missed its glory days, imho.

 

Yep. Plus, for a long time Opera's GUI spelt customise with a 'Z'. The horror ... the horror ...

 

I sometimes use a little kill switch button for pesky popups etc.

Just select what you want to kill - will show up in pink. Sorry Daveski17 and Mr.PC just to illustrate. Decided also to remove Duck avatar.