Opera releases newer, faster 'Kestrel' browser

The browser wars continue unabated this week, with Opera releasing the latest version of its desktop browser 9.5, codenamed ‘Kestrel’

Speed and compatibility issues have apparently been improved in the latest version of Opera.

New Opera features

Explore Opera’s newest features such as Quick Find (the same as Firefox’s ‘Awesome Bar’), Opera Link which syncs your bookmarks and Speed Dial between your computers and mobile phone, Speed Dial (“a set of visual bookmarks you see when you open a new tab, like a dashboard for your online life”) and fully customizable Mouse Gestures.

Interestingly, Opera ‘Kestrel’ features built-in support for BitTorrent, which makes it easy to download Torrent files without the need for a separate application.

Opera claims to have the fastest browser in the world – “quicker to start, faster at loading Web pages and better at running your favourite Web applications.

Opera's built-in e-mail client also features improved responsiveness so you can keep on top of your mail and news feeds faster than before.

Firefox man welcomes innovation

Tristan Niton, Mozilla’s European president, had the following to say about the release of the latest version of the Opera browser:

“We, at Mozilla, are really happy to see more innovation in the browser space. After years of stagnation browsers are a hot topic again and it's good for all the users because the browser is the gateway to the Web.

“If the browser is unsafe and not innovating, the whole Web is limited in its own progress. Considering how important, how central the Web has become for more than a billion people, having innovation and better security built into the browser is a must.”