Video:Using the Opera Browser

SHARE ON                

Transcript:Using the Opera Browser

Hi, I'm Don Schechter for About.com Computing. Today I'll show you the Opera browser and how it works.

What Is the Opera Browser?

The Opera browser is a Web browser similar to Internet Explorer or Firefox. However it does have some unique features. It has a reputation for being faster and safer than other browsers. It takes up less space on your computer and makes your Web browsing experience more efficient with some amazing features.

Install the Opera Browser

It is compatible with many operating systems including MacOS, Windows, and Linux. You can download the opera browser for free at their website, www.opera.com. The website will automatically detect your computers operating system and you'll see a download button at the bottom. The download is quick and easy.

Opera Browser Features

Once installed, open it up. You'll come to the Opera start page. There are a few things to notice other than the standard buttons like refresh, next, and back, which you expect in a Web browser.

There are two additional buttons which can be quite helpful: the fast forward and rewind buttons. I find that they are most useful when viewing an online photo album or search results. Click the fast forward button to go to the next page in the search. After a few clicks you may decide you want to go back to the first page of results. Click the rewind button and there you are.

Opera Browser Tabs

Like many other browsers, Opera has tabs, which are located above the address bar. Click the new tab icon to create a new tab. Every time you open a new tab, you'll be brought to the speed dial page. I don't have any here yet. There are a few ways to add your favorite websites. First you can drag it from another tab. You can also right click a slot and choose edit to link it to a webpage. Choose one from the list of pages you have visited or type in the address below. Click 'ok.'

Select a Speed Dial

There are also a few different ways to select a speed dial. You can click on one and it will open. You can type the corresponding number into the address bar and it will open up. Or you can press control and the number to bring up the page. If you need to re-order the speed dial slots, just click and drag them where you want them.

Adjusting Font Size

Click on the glasses to the right of the address bar. Below some options will appear. Sometimes web pages have very small type. If you want you can click the zoom drop down menu to adjust the size. I love this because I don't have to squint at the screen.

Opera Browser Trash Can

The trash can above the address bar is a neat feature. If you accidentally close a tab, you can click on the trash can and open it back up. This is where you would find any pop-ups that you might need for certain websites.

Opera Browser Notes

Click the toggle arrow on the left side of the screen. A small sidebar will appear with buttons for bookmarks, widgets notes and other helpful links. Notes is a really useful feature of Opera. Highlight text on a webpage and right click it. Select copy to note. The highlighted information can now be found in the notes panel. Click on it once and you will see the text below. Double click it to open the same webpage.

Personal Info in Opera

Opera also keeps you and your personal information safe. It comes with automatic fraud protection. See the question mark in the address bar at the top? This means that Opera has not checked the site to make sure it is identified or known to be safe. Click the question mark to check for fraud. Click 'perform fraud check.' To make fraud check an automatic feature in Opera, check the box at the bottom of this window. Then click ok.

Now when you surf the Web, you will see an 'I' for identified or a question mark if it is not identified. If you do come across a fraudulent site, you will see a warning from Opera.

There are many more features to Opera. Visit opera.com to learn more about features and customizing the browser. Thanks for watching. For more information please visit us online at computing.about.com.