Looking at some gems outside Microfost

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!