Looking at some gems outside Microfost

Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, Jakarta

The news lately has been filled with Microsoft, Microsoft and more Microsoft.

The gigantic Redmond, Washington-based company has recently settled (subject to approval) their anti-trust case with the U.S. Justice Department, launched their latest Operating System Windows XP, won a court case (and multi-million dollar judgment) in Jakarta and entered the console gaming market with their new X-Box.

Some people complain that there are no alternative choices anymore. The Netscape browser is practically dead (they are far from their 80 percent market share just two years ago) and there does not seem to be any desktop operating system that can challenge the supremacy of Windows any time soon. The bundling of software within the Windows operating systems seems to effectively kill off any competition in the third-party software market.

Actually, that is not exactly true.

As more and more people look for non-Microsoft alternatives, there are some gems to be found. One of them is the Oslo-based Opera Software (http://www.opera.com).

Opera started off as an alternative browser during the heyday of the Netscape - Microsoft browser battles. It was a relatively small download (less then 1.44 megabytes, enough to fit onto a floppy) compared to the behemoths of the day (12 - 16 megabytes were common, and still are today) yet provided surprisingly speedy access to the web.

It's no frills look and features appealed to users who began to groan under the weight of the other browser's minimum hardware requirements. With Opera, a user with Linux or Windows 95 can access the net on a 386 machine! To date, there are over six million users worldwide. That may be small compared to Internet Explorer (IE) or Netscape in its heyday, but it receives new converts daily.

Dubbed "The Fastest Browser on Earth", Opera users can open 4 screens (or more) and view them all at once in one window. Users swear that even accessing 4 different sites at the same time is fast compared to other browsers. Instant messaging with ICQ and search engines are also integrated into the browser so users don't have to open another application or window/website.

Opera users can "save" windows before closing the application, so the next time they power up the browser they will automatically be placed where they left off. In addition, the browser also supports people with visual and mobility impairments, as the software can zoom in for larger text and image size, provide sound events giving the user audible prompts for load completion and other reoccurring web activities, and special keyboard shortcuts for most browser functions.

The current Windows version (version 5.12) stands at 2.19 Megabytes (not including Java) and is free, supported by Internet Advertising. Although this last feature may raise eyebrows, it is one way to support the funding of the browser, especially in the face of the multi-billion dollar war chest possessed by Microsoft.

The ad-free browser costs US$39 (less if you are a student, ISP or educational institution).

Opera has browsers for a total of 7 operating systems including Unix, Mac OS and Be. It is also one of the most popular applications in Linux as it is not prone to crashing like it's other Open Source counterparts.

Opera users are a loyal bunch. When Microsoft launched their Windows XP OS, their msn.com portal had a facelift. Anyone who accessed the site in a non-IE browser was met with an error message and a "friendly" advice to download Microsoft's browser to fully comply with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards.

Interestingly enough, msn.com turned out to be non-compliant with those same standards, as it seems to be filled with hooks and special codes for Internet Explorer. Opera users raised such a stink that was reported in various media outlets worldwide that Microsoft had to back down and open it's site to all non-IE browsers.

Opera has also received recognition from Big Blue itself. IBM contracted Opera to provide browser software for their Internet Appliance products. The company has also recently revealed its software for various small internet devices such as the Webpad, Ericsson Screen Phone and Psion Personal Digital Assistant. On all machines, Opera ran smoothly and quickly on limited hardware.

At the moment, Opera version 6 Beta is now being released. If you are interested in viewing the web through new glasses, you may want to download and give it a try. You'll be surprised by it's speed, features and size. Better yet, you are joining a small but growing community fighting for choice in the market place. Welcome to the rebellion!