Tips on computer technology

By: Bill Michiling

Welcome back. Last week we talked about MacOS X. I got had the pleasure of demoing it this week end at CompUSA at Apple’s request. Next week I will have an in depth review of what I found. Don’t miss it!

If you are looking for some beautiful pictures of Saipan, go to: (http://www.saipanphoto.com )

I would also like to remind everyone that all the year 2000 and after articles on the website ( http://www.mespn.com/forms/tech_articles) are now searchable by keyword(s) or article date. This has been requested a number of times from many of my loyal readers, and now it is available, check it out as well as the online version of the Saipan Tribune, which you can access by clicking the banner on that same page.

(re-edited from Applelinks)

Are you getting tired of bloatware? Specifically, Microsoft Explorer, Netscape, just to mention a couple. How would you like to use a web browser that is very small, very fast and very compatible? Then keep reading….

Opera 5.0 Preview

The Technology Preview 2 version of Opera 5.0 for Mac is an initial partial work build. Features presented in the standard Opera version might be missing or only partially included. Opera notes that it is not customary to supply a full set of help files with a Technical Preview release. These files will be partially supplied in the beta version, and will, of course, be fully available in the full release.

Currently a public Technology Preview 2. Opera for Macintosh has been tested on MacOS 7.5.3 through MacOS 9.1. After the Power PC (PPC) version, a Carbonized MacOS X version will follow. Then an 68K version will follow.

Opera for Mac TP2 will not work under Mac OS X in Classic mode, this version is just an upgrade because TP1 expires. A new version will follow later in April that will work under Mac OS X Classic mode.

Opera is a fast, small, secure, configurable, and standards compliant Internet/intranet browser. Opera Software has licensed Macromedia Flash Player technology in the Windows, Linux and Macintosh versions of Opera. Macromedia Flash Player delivers motion, sound, interactivity and graphics.

Opera Features:

Opera is faster then you know who….even in the Preview version!

Speed is an issue Opera keeps in mind at all times while coding, resulting in a faster browsing experience for the user.

€ Opera is created with speed and efficiency in mind.

€ Opera takes care of itself, making little use of shared libraries, which results in increased efficiency and a faster response.

Opera is secure

Opera features 128bit SSL encryption, version 2 and 3. The first browser on the market to support TLS 1.0. This means that you can do secure online ordering of goods and services, online banking without any additional security proxy software or modules, ensuring complete security for your online transactions.

Opera complies with standards

It is fast becoming a nightmare for website developers to make their pages ‘best viewed’ with one of the big browsers. Using Opera, you know that your pages are best viewed on any browser. Use Opera as your standard reference browser to make sure that your pages are open to all, and not just to those with a specific browser, it will save you valuable time when developing your pages. As an effect of this, you also learn how to write proper code, which is invaluable in itself.

Opera is extremely small

Did I mention, Opera is small, oh yes I did….

Installation is a breeze, taking merely a minute. Opera does not hog your hard disk space. Opera for Mac is a mere 2.2 MB download, so updating to the latest version is always fast and easy.

€ Quick and easy to download

€ Small size

€ Low resource requirements

€ Fast opening

Opera is ideal for people with disabilities

Using Opera means being able to access the Net quickly and efficiently. Only Opera makes it possible to navigate entirely with the keyboard, to the great pleasure of our thousands of visually or physically disabled users worldwide.

€ navigate entirely with the keyboard for more speed

€ zoom in and out of the pages without losing resolution

€ Opera is simple to use with:

€ Context sensitive menus

€ An online support web

€ Dedicated news server supplying quick answers by users to users

Session Management

€ Start Opera with a number of windows

€ Start with the same setup as when you last exited

€ Each window can be with or without graphics

Download management

Multiple downloads are possible at the same time Opera features a special download window with your download items listed. In addition, Opera supports:

€ resume download – if the server stops, you won’t have to start again.

€ dedicated Download window with FTP and HTTP

€ file status

Cookie management

Opera continues it’s commitment to user security and choice with Opera’s advanced Cookie management capability.

€ advanced cookie filtering

€ accept or deny third party cookies

Web display management

Choose your own presentation styles: font type, color and other parameters for headers (H1 H6), normal and preformatted text, form buttons and form fields, newsgroup headers, group header and message text and more with your own user CSS. Fly the web the way YOU want!

Opera is flexible

Choose whether to show menus, buttons, scroll bars, progress information etc. If you don’t need it, why show it? If you don’t like the UI gadgetry, you can turn it off. If you don’t like cookies or referrer logging, frames or multimedia, or if it’s just Javascript, one click turns them off. If you’d like to customize the look and feel of your toolbar, no problem at all. Opera is customization friendly, so you can see the Internet the way YOU want and not the way the designer envisaged.

Sophisticated hotlist

€ import from other browsers

€ retrieve all elements of a hotlist (bookmarks) with one click

€ add all active documents to a hotlist (bookmarks) with just one click

Support for multiple graphics formats

Opera includes support for multiple graphic formats. Support for wbmp, png without alpha transparency channels, gif, jpeg, bmp, xbm, animated gif, and transparent gif formats. Graphics can of course be turned off!

Rating

So how would I rate it? Even in its present Preview version, Opera looks to be a browser to be reckoned with! Watch out Microsoft and AOL, there is a big dog coming to town and its name is “Opera”!!!!

Have a wonderful week.

See you here and on the web next week.

Bill Michling is a computer professional and welcomes any comments or questions you may have. Just send email to: bill@mespn.com or michling@usa.net.

You may also go to Marianas Electronics and ask help from the friendly staff there, or call them at: 234-5424, Just ask for Annie, Jun or Joseph.

For world access this Wednesday column is also on the Saipan Tribune website at: ( http://www.saipantribune.com ) or at the mespn.com site at: (http://mespn.com/forms/tech_Articles/ ), now connected to the internet via broadband high speed T1+. Soon to be upgraded to a 3mb connection!