I want to like Opera. I really do. But, while this version is a step up from where it’s been, it’s still just not as good as its competition: Chrome, Internet Explorer, or even the beleaguered Firefox, are simply better.
On the plus side, Opera 11.6, which is available as a free download for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows, has a new HTML5 parser, code-named Ragnarök. For users, this will mean that Opera does well with HTML5 encoded Web pages. Still, its HTML5 compatibility score, 325 out of a possible 450 lags behind Chrome 15.
The user interface also comes with a new default tab page: “Speed Dial.” This displays thumbnail images and link of your favorite sites. It’s nice, but Chrome and the latest versions of the other Web browsers already have it. In another similar “following the pack” move, Opera’s settings dialogs are now reached via the “wrench” button.