Opera is a browser that’s seen widespread acclaim through the years for the number of innovative features it has. While it may not be as prolific as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, its inclusion of an ad blocker and built-in VPN along with other similar features, saw it getting praise across the internet. Now, the company behind Opera is looking to cause tremors with its newest browser, Opera Neon.
Opera Neon is not a different version of Opera but instead, is a stand alone, concept browser. It’s a drastic turnabout from what a normal browser looks and feels like. Instead of falling in line, Opera Neon seems to have chucked the norm in the bin in favour of something a bit more radical. Calling it an internet browser may not be accurate. Calling it a “web operating system” that’s on top of your existing OS is a far better description.
“Web browsers of today are basically from the last millennium, a time when the web was full of documents and pages. With the Opera Neon project, we want to show people our vision for the future of the web.”
– Krystian Kolondra, Head of Opera browser.
When you open Opera Neon, it doesn’t give the appearance of opening a separate application. Instead, it blends with your desktop background, overlaying either Windows or MacOS. On the left, you can access a video player, image gallery, and download manager. On the right, a visual tab bar makes it easier to distinguish between tabs. Managing those tabs are made even easier; they automatically float to the top when frequently used, while tabs that are less frequented sink to the bottom. And to top it all off, the Opera Neon team has built a new omnibox which supports your favourite search engines as well as open search.
It’s a beautifully designed web browser that’s still in its diapers; it lacks key features such as extensions for further customizability. You can download it here.
