Vivaldi browser Options

[Christian J]

Haven't tried myself yet, apparently it's based on Chromium but meant to look like classic Opera12.

Download: https://vivaldi.com/
Forum: https://vivaldi.net/en-US/forum/vivaldi-browser

[Christian J]

Now I've tested. Doesn't look or behave like Opera12 at all, more like what I've read about Opera/Blink. Not many preferences to change, the only one related to privacy/security is cookie settings. Just like SRWare Iron (and Chrome itself I assume), it makes lots of background connections to various Google servers.

[Frederiek]

Looking at their story, they created Opera in the first place, or at least so it seems. But since Opera changed its direction, they start to create this new browser.

I didn't d/l it, and even less if it makes connections to Google. That's why I immediately ditched Chrome.

In the nearby future, we'll also a new browser by MS, to come with Windows 10.

[Christian J]

But since Opera changed its direction, they start to create this new browser.

That's why I don't understand, this Vivaldi seems more similar to Opera's current (bad) direction than anything else.

[Frederiek]

I don't even know which (bad or not) direction. All I know is that Opera changed their browser engine some time ago. I believe before it was webkit.

Anyway, these guys surely are yet at the start of their new project. Maybe, it just has to mature further, before saying anything for certain about their efforts up to now.

[Christian J]

I don't even know which (bad or not) direction. All I know is that Opera changed their browser engine some time ago. I believe before it was webkit.

While the classic Opera12 (with the Presto engine) was a swiss army knife of (more or less useful) options, tools and features, the new Opera15 seems more limited than even an ordinary browser. Apparently it still doesn't have added back a bookmark menu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_of_t...owser#Bookmarks

[Darin McGrew]

I've been using other browsers for years, but when I used Opera, I used it for two reasons: its small memory footprint that allowed it to work well on older systems (why I started using it) and its wide assortment of features and options that gave me control over the way web pages displayed and functioned (why I kept using it).

I stopped using it when I started using cloud-based services that didn't work with it.

[pandy]

I wonder if Opera isn't the greatest disappointment in browser history. It started so grandly and all of us probably had great hopes for it. They had the most devoted user base ever. So devoted in fact that it made me shun from it. Then came all the changes to functionality that got too bothersome to keep up with. And then they dropped the whole thing. The devoted users must have screamed at the top of their lungs. One day I'll check out the list archive.

Second place is probably when Netscape closed down. Not everyone was sorry about that though.

[Christian J]

The devoted users must have screamed at the top of their lungs. One day I'll check out the list archive.

There was a lot of complaints in Opera's own forums, but not as much as one would think, considering how rabid the Opera fans used to be. Maybe most of them had already switched to Firefox, or maybe lots of forum threads got deleted. OTOH I didn't see much screaming on other sites either.

[Christian J]

I stopped using it when I started using cloud-based services that didn't work with it.

I avoid such services at all cost, so I can keep using it for trusted sites.

Alas even (classic) Opera's web page functionality features are becoming dated. For example, you can't actually disable iframes (just hide them), and you must allow javascript to use extensions.

[Christian J]

Seems the Vivaldi browser has improved as lot since last year. Now it supports several of the Classic Opera features, such as the wonderful keyboard arrow navigation. I think browser extensions can take care of most things that are still missing from Classic Opera, but I haven't done much testing yet.

It's still Chrome-based, which means it makes background connections to Google domains like gstatic.com and gvt1.com. When first started after installation, my packet sniffer found 37(!) such connections, both from vivaldi.exe itself and Window's own svchost service. Subsequent restarts only make a few, though.

[pandy]

And we used to call MS the evil empire. Sheesh.

[Christian J]

It would be interesting to know what all the connections are used for, and what data they send to Google (it's encrypted, and while it seems possible to decrypt, doing so might compromise your security, IIRC).

MS is doing its best to be evil with the Windows 10 spamming, BTW.

[pandy]

Windows 10 spamming? You mean like ads? I seldome notice these things.

I remember when Chrome was fairly new and I tried it out. I had this old noisy drive as D for my documents and a new and silent drive as C for programs. Installed Chrome on my C drive and my D drive started to squeak like crazy and didn't stop until I had removed Chrome. So what was it/they doing with my D drive?

[Christian J]

Windows 10 spamming? You mean like ads? I seldome notice these things.

Haven't you heard? Read the whole "Distribution practices" section, it just gets worse and worse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10#Di...ution_practices

I remember when Chrome was fairly new and I tried it out. I had this old noisy drive as D for my documents and a new and silent drive as C for programs. Installed Chrome on my C drive and my D drive started to squeak like crazy and didn't stop until I had removed Chrome. So what was it/they doing with my D drive?

Maybe it was a bug, I don't think Google is that open with its snooping (yet).

[pandy]

No, I hadn't heard that.

[pandy]

Things are scary sometimes. Just got one of those "Do you know xxx" emails from Facebook. I just have a fake account there with my spam email addie and I'm logged in maybe twice a year. Thing is they were asking if I know Darin McGrew. I thought heck, at last they've got it right, but no, judging from the picture it was the wrong guy. Still, that name isn't that common, so it's still odd, me thinks.

[Christian J]

As one moderator to another, I think you're going off-topic now. I have a theory about Darin, but maybe we shouldn't discuss it in public.

[pandy]

I'm not! It's all about spam advertising and spying on us, isn't it?

A theory about Darin sounds titillating. Let's discuss it!

[Darin McGrew]

Huh... I've never seen another person with the same name as me before. I've almost never seen another person with the same last name who wasn't related to me. I'll send my FB URL privately, in case you're curious.