Opera Browser Version 7.20 Supports Bidirectional Languages

First Opera for Bidirectional Languages

Opera 7.20 for Windows Fine-Tunes Speed and Performance

Oslo, Norway. August 28, 2003.

Opera Software today released Opera 7.20 for Windows Beta. The new release makes it truer than ever that Opera adheres to the its popular tagline "The Fastest Browser on Earth," with Opera's engineers having fine-tuned version 7's development branch for maximum performance.

Opera 7 for Windows is Opera's most successful version ever, with over 10 million copies downloaded so far just from www.opera.com. In addition to the copies downloaded from Opera's homepage are the many millions more downloaded from other sites around the world.

With Opera 7.20's added support for bidirectional languages such as Arabic and Hebrew, Opera is now a true global browser. At the same time, recent press reports indicate that IE is slowing down browser development and that development of Netscape has been largely abandoned. Microsoft will not develop the stand-alone version of Internet Explorer further, instead going for full integration in the upcoming 'Longhorn' operating system to be released in a few years time. Internet Explorer users thus need to buy a new operating system to get a new browser. This leaves Opera as the only major commercial player continuing to push browser development, offering a vast number of new users a continually up-to-date and enhanced Internet experience.

"Opera 7 has been greeted with cheers from users and press all over the world. By continuously listening closely to our users throughout Opera's development cycle over the years, we have succeeded in creating the very best browser there is," says Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software ASA. "This technological lead is further expanded with today's release. The feedback from our testers has been unison: Opera 7.20 significantly boosts speed and performance."

Opera 7.20 for Windows has already been released in pre-beta versions not announced to the wider public. Opera's Elektrans, the volunteer group that helps millions of Opera users get the very best Internet experience available in every release, has joined forces with a select group of power users that frequent Opera's newsgroups and forums. This elite group has run Opera 7.20 through intensive stress-testing over the last few weeks to ensure that all critical bugs are found and fixed before the final release. The final Opera 7.20 for Windows will be released sometime later this summer.

New Features: See the changelog for Opera 7.20 for Windows Beta.

Enjoy Opera's Happy Hour!

In conjunction with the launch of Opera 7.20 for Windows Beta, Opera's "Happy Hour" campaign is now running. During two random hours every day for the next ten days, Opera is available with a discount of 25% for the special price of EUR 29.25/USD 29.25.

Warning: Opera 7.20 for Windows is currently an early beta release, and will thus contain many errors. Beta versions should only be tested by advanced users. Opera recommends that beta versions are run from a separate folder from your regular Opera installation.

About Opera Software ASA

Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web browser technology, partnering with companies such as IBM, AMD, Nokia, Macromedia, Symbian, Canal+ Technologies, Ericsson, Sharp, Metrowerks, and MontaVista Software. The Opera browser has received international recognition from users, industry experts and media for being faster, smaller and more standards-compliant than other browsers. Opera's browser technology is cross-platform and modular, targeting the desktop, smartphone, PDA, iTV and vertical markets.

Opera Software ASA is a privately held company headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with development centers in Linkvping and Gothenburg, Sweden, and a sales representative in Austin, TX. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.

Contact

Opera Software
Live Leer
Marcom Manager
Tel: +47 40 40 14 77
Fax: +47 24 16 40 01
Email: press@opera.com

[Source: http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2003/08/28/]

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive.

SEARCH Advanced Search ABOUT Site Map CP RSS Channel Contact Us Sponsoring CP About Our Sponsors NEWS Cover Stories Articles & Papers Press Releases CORE STANDARDS XML SGML Schemas XSL/XSLT/XPath XLink XML Query CSS SVG TECHNOLOGY REPORTS XML Applications General Apps Government Apps Academic Apps EVENTS LIBRARY Introductions FAQs Bibliography Technology and Society Semantics Tech Topics Software Related Standards Historic	Opera Browser Version 7.20 Supports Bidirectional Languages First Opera for Bidirectional Languages Opera 7.20 for Windows Fine-Tunes Speed and Performance Oslo, Norway. August 28, 2003. Opera Software today released Opera 7.20 for Windows Beta. The new release makes it truer than ever that Opera adheres to the its popular tagline "The Fastest Browser on Earth," with Opera's engineers having fine-tuned version 7's development branch for maximum performance. Opera 7 for Windows is Opera's most successful version ever, with over 10 million copies downloaded so far just from www.opera.com. In addition to the copies downloaded from Opera's homepage are the many millions more downloaded from other sites around the world. With Opera 7.20's added support for bidirectional languages such as Arabic and Hebrew, Opera is now a true global browser. At the same time, recent press reports indicate that IE is slowing down browser development and that development of Netscape has been largely abandoned. Microsoft will not develop the stand-alone version of Internet Explorer further, instead going for full integration in the upcoming 'Longhorn' operating system to be released in a few years time. Internet Explorer users thus need to buy a new operating system to get a new browser. This leaves Opera as the only major commercial player continuing to push browser development, offering a vast number of new users a continually up-to-date and enhanced Internet experience. "Opera 7 has been greeted with cheers from users and press all over the world. By continuously listening closely to our users throughout Opera's development cycle over the years, we have succeeded in creating the very best browser there is," says Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software ASA. "This technological lead is further expanded with today's release. The feedback from our testers has been unison: Opera 7.20 significantly boosts speed and performance." Opera 7.20 for Windows has already been released in pre-beta versions not announced to the wider public. Opera's Elektrans, the volunteer group that helps millions of Opera users get the very best Internet experience available in every release, has joined forces with a select group of power users that frequent Opera's newsgroups and forums. This elite group has run Opera 7.20 through intensive stress-testing over the last few weeks to ensure that all critical bugs are found and fixed before the final release. The final Opera 7.20 for Windows will be released sometime later this summer. New Features: See the changelog for Opera 7.20 for Windows Beta. Enjoy Opera's Happy Hour! In conjunction with the launch of Opera 7.20 for Windows Beta, Opera's "Happy Hour" campaign is now running. During two random hours every day for the next ten days, Opera is available with a discount of 25% for the special price of EUR 29.25/USD 29.25. Warning: Opera 7.20 for Windows is currently an early beta release, and will thus contain many errors. Beta versions should only be tested by advanced users. Opera recommends that beta versions are run from a separate folder from your regular Opera installation. About Opera Software ASA Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web browser technology, partnering with companies such as IBM, AMD, Nokia, Macromedia, Symbian, Canal+ Technologies, Ericsson, Sharp, Metrowerks, and MontaVista Software. The Opera browser has received international recognition from users, industry experts and media for being faster, smaller and more standards-compliant than other browsers. Opera's browser technology is cross-platform and modular, targeting the desktop, smartphone, PDA, iTV and vertical markets. Opera Software ASA is a privately held company headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with development centers in Linkvping and Gothenburg, Sweden, and a sales representative in Austin, TX. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com. Contact Opera Software Live Leer Marcom Manager Tel: +47 40 40 14 77 Fax: +47 24 16 40 01 Email: press@opera.com [Source: http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2003/08/28/] Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive.