Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Your Thoughts About Opera Browser?

7Mac7

7Mac7

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 10, 2016
28
4
Hi, everyone.

I've had to find a new browser for my old Macbook Air (OS 10.6) because Chrome will longer offer support, which makes it not safe to use due to no longer getting security updates, etc. Same with Safari. And I do not wish to upgrade to a newer OS at this time due to horror stories I've read/heard/seen with my own eyes on older systems. So after extensive research and trying out different browsers, I've decided on Opera.

I've heard rumors that Opera was no longer active/giving security updates/etc. for older OS (like 10.6) but then again I've heard other rumors that said that is not true at all and Opera is still supporting 10.6. I don't know what to believe.

In any case, please share with me your thoughts about Opera for an older OS like mine. I needed something light on the RAM and safe and secure. Both Chrome and Firefox are RAM hogs - at least they are on my computer...believe me, I've tested them all. Opera runs much faster on my machine and it's easier on the RAM. However, I don't wish to use it no matter HOW great it runs if it's not a safe/secure browser.

Please let me know...
 
Last edited:
7Mac7 said:
I already read it. A company being being sold doesn't answer any of my questions in this thread.
Click to expand...
Duh.

Google's done with offering updates for older OSes. Opera uses the same engine that Chrome uses - they're cutting off older OS support as well. Opera, by proxy, has the same overhead problems as Chrome - I use both, and both crash, fail to load randomly and require a logout/login, and just fail to load randomly. I'm using Opera right now, and I've had load/refresh issues with it today, just like Chrome did as well. The selling situation sticks a fork in it for me, it's done on my desktop...
 
campyguy said:
Duh.

Google's done with offering updates for older OSes. Opera uses the same engine that Chrome uses - they're cutting off older OS support as well. Opera, by proxy, has the same overhead problems as Chrome - I use both, and both crash, fail to load randomly and require a logout/login, and just fail to load randomly. I'm using Opera right now, and I've had load/refresh issues with it today, just like Chrome did as well. The selling situation sticks a fork in it for me, it's done on my desktop...
Click to expand...

"Duh"? Are you ok there?

Yeah thanks, but I haven't had any problems with Opera crashing.

Can someone actually answer my questions in my original post? Thank you. I think I'm done with this poster. Like I said, leave your condescending tone at the door or move along.
 
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Opera. I remember when it was the best thing since Betty White (who is, in fact, older than sliced bread), and was even used for a lot of mobile browsers (like the Wii and DSi's browsers, as well as some other devices), but nowadays it's hardly even mentioned next to Chrome and Firefox (or Spartan aka Edge aka SecretelyStillInternetExplorer). Personally, if I were you, I'd use Firefox or TenFourFox, but that's just because I've always had a soft spot for Mozilla (plus there's loads of extensions and it's updated constantly).

However, browser choice usually all comes down to the person and what they're comfortable with. Hey, if it loads Youtube, it loads Youtube. (But if you use Internet Explorer 8, you're just a dirty sinner)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7Mac7
LOL @jebug29

I wouldn't touch IE with a 10-foot pole. lol

Yeah, I hear you...I know what you mean about Mozilla. I've always liked FF too - until my trusty old computer got, well, older. FF (nor Chrome) just doesn't seem to be very nice to my old machine. They are both RAM hogs and constantly freeze on me now. I've heard good things about Roccat recently (what are your thoughts on this?) Don't know much about TenFourFox but I'm guessing it's affiliated with FF - and if FF isn't working for me then TenFourFox probably won't either...?
 
I've never even heard of Roccat. *googles and downloads*

Hm, honestly it seems nice, although it's a little weird and glitchy (Ads aren't blocked but they don't load fully, if you load Google+ the address bar makes it look like it's constantly refreshing). To be fair, though, it's in its early stages. I would just worry about it not getting enough support and eventually dropping dead.

The thing is though, it's suspiciously small in size (12mb) and uses Webkit, which makes me wonder if maybe it doesn't actually just use Safari's files (which would make it only as useful as Safari, although lighter) much the same way browser controls in Microsoft's Visual Studios just use IE's engine. But, hey, don't knock it till you try it. At least it's not Camino.

One browser I really used to love, and I just don't use anymore, is Sleipnir. It's a gesture based browser that works really well with the magic mouse and touchpad. Once again, though, I worry that support for it will just drop off the face of the Earth, considering the latest stable version of it was for Windows and was released months ago in October. You might try it and Roccat though and see how they perform.

Tenfourfox might work better than regular Firefox. Its basically a fork of Firefox designed for G3, G4, and G5 processors (you should be able to run the G5 version since you're using Snow Leopard, which has Rosetta, but I might be wrong). I would recommend trying it out to see if it lags behind like Firefox (if it works and I'm not wrong about the Rosetta support). It might work a little better, but then again I'm not sure.

This website appears to have up-to-date Chromium builds available, which should work the same as Google Chrome. You might try that, but it's all depending on if you really wanna stay with Chrome if it bogs your computer down.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7Mac7
jebug29, I am gonna check out TenFourFox and play around with it later. Would you say it's a safe/secure browser? One thing I really loved about Opera was all the security features, ad blockers, malware blockers, etc. Thanks so much!
[doublepost=1455208061][/doublepost]I just downloaded TFF...problem - when I tried to open the app I got this message: "To open firefox, you need to install Rosetta. Would you like to install it now?"
 
Ohp sorry for the late reply. Yeah, install Rosetta. It's the software that Leopard and Snow Leopard used to run older powerpc programs.
I haven't used Opera in a while. I mean, hey, if it works it works. I've just never been a huge fan.
TFF is definitely safe and secure. It's pretty much Firefox.
 
i was a big fan of chrome but i didn't like the hit to battery life and performance it took on my devices. i then switched over to Opera for all, and am quite pleased with it. There are extensions available for Opera that I used on Chrome, and the history/bookmark syncing of Opera are as good as Chrome.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7Mac7
I've been using Opera as main browser for years. Always liked it. These days as things become more bloated, sometimes little strange behaviours appear but nothing too much. Seems quite secure, safe, I've loaded all the extensions I want on it including adblockers, anti-trackers etc. I don't believe it is phoning home or collecting data on me, like I fear Google's Chrome would/does. I'm on 10.9 here now though, not Snow like you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7Mac7
jebug29 - thank you for your reply but I think I'll skip installing Rosetta, only because I don't want to take up even more RAM and disk space. I'll stick to Opera for now.

sracer - exactly! I hear you, yes Chrome (and Firefox for me too) was a battery hog and RAM hog. Opera performs flawlessly and faster on my machine for some reason. I've been using Opera lately and I'm very pleased with it. And because Opera already has so many great features built into the program and preferences, I found that I only needed ONE extension - unlike Chrome and FF where I needed quite a few extensions.

vkd - yes I agree. Not sure about Chrome's behind-the-scenes activities. I was always a little suspicious.

My only fear is...........IF (or maybe it's already final?) Opera goes through with the sale of the company, what's gonna happen? No more security updates? No more support? No more safe/secure browser?
 
7Mac7 said:
jebug29 - thank you for your reply but I think I'll skip installing Rosetta, only because I don't want to take up even more RAM and disk space. I'll stick to Opera for now.

sracer - exactly! I hear you, yes Chrome (and Firefox for me too) was a battery hog and RAM hog. Opera performs flawlessly and faster on my machine for some reason. I've been using Opera lately and I'm very pleased with it. And because Opera already has so many great features built into the program and preferences, I found that I only needed ONE extension - unlike Chrome and FF where I needed quite a few extensions.

vkd - yes I agree. Not sure about Chrome's behind-the-scenes activities. I was always a little suspicious.

My only fear is...........IF (or maybe it's already final?) Opera goes through with the sale of the company, what's gonna happen? No more security updates? No more support? No more safe/secure browser?
Click to expand...
If the sale goes most smart people would stop using it. Opera is such a very good and underrated browser.
 
  • Like
Reactions: old-wiz
Michaelgtrusa said:
If the sale goes most smart people would stop using it. Opera is such a very good and underrated browser.
Click to expand...

I agree Opera is definitely great and underrated! May I ask why do you think most people will stop using it if the sale goes through? What would be so detrimental about the sale? Would it mean no more support and no more security updates, development, etc., and render Opera a "dead browser"? Perhaps it won't be this way...perhaps the new company who buys Opera will continue to develop it and support older OS's as the current Opera developers have done. I can only hope!
 
7Mac7 said:
I agree Opera is definitely great and underrated! May I ask why do you think most people will stop using it if the sale goes through? What would be so detrimental about the sale? Would it mean no more support and no more security updates, development, etc., and render Opera a "dead browser"? Perhaps it won't be this way...perhaps the new company who buys Opera will continue to develop it and support older OS's as the current Opera developers have done. I can only hope!
Click to expand...
A Chinese Consortium.

There is no way that I would trust using Opera if it were sold to a Chinese (or Russian for that matter) consortium.
 
  • Like
Reactions: old-wiz
7Mac7 said:
I agree Opera is definitely great and underrated! May I ask why do you think most people will stop using it if the sale goes through? What would be so detrimental about the sale? Would it mean no more support and no more security updates, development, etc., and render Opera a "dead browser"? Perhaps it won't be this way...perhaps the new company who buys Opera will continue to develop it and support older OS's as the current Opera developers have done. I can only hope!
Click to expand...
The government of communist china wants to buy Opera.
 
But doesn't China have good technology and software developers? They might do a good job taking over Opera development. Hopefully, it will be an honest company and they will continue to make Opera a great browser. I guess with any company or browser one might question intentions, but isn't that only natural with any company - regardless of which country it's located in?
 
7Mac7 said:
But doesn't China have good technology and software developers? They might do a good job taking over Opera development. Hopefully, it will be an honest company and they will continue to make Opera a great browser. I guess with any company or browser one might question intentions, but isn't that only natural with any company - regardless of which country it's located in?
Click to expand...
You would help yourself by doing some research.
 
7Mac7 said:
But doesn't China have good technology and software developers? They might do a good job taking over Opera development. Hopefully, it will be an honest company and they will continue to make Opera a great browser. I guess with any company or browser one might question intentions, but isn't that only natural with any company - regardless of which country it's located in?
Click to expand...
The United States and Europe built up and to this day continue to bankroll china. The U.S. did most if the heavy lifting. Perhaps you should do some research and you'll see the cold hard reality of what china is.
 
I have researched. I just hate to assume it's so atrocious just because it's a Chinese company and I wouldn't want to assume that a great browser would suddenly be unworthy of using just because the ownership is transferred. Especially if the new company pretty much leaves the browser the same and doesn't change all the great features that we like...and who knows - maybe even improve it. :)
 
W00t!!!!!!!

11k9q2o.jpg
 
Michaelgtrusa said:
Perfect timing how you showed up here just as members are concerned about the sale to communist china.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was glad to see that too! :)
[doublepost=1455724952][/doublepost]
sracer said:
what did you expect them to say? "After the sale we'll be loading up the browser with spyware" ? LOL
Click to expand...

LOL :p Well...no, but they could have conveniently "overlooked" the inquiry. Seeing their response has made me a little less worried. If Opera developers were the kind of people who wanted to "load up the browser with spyware", they certainly wouldn't have to wait until the sale goes through to do it. They would have done it ages ago and they wouldn't have gained the positive, hard-working reputation they have if they were that type.
 
  • Like
Reactions: old-wiz
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back