OPERA launches a new version 9.

Hi guys, my first post on this blog. Being a technology enthusiast and an internet freak, I have always been exploring new software being introduced to the internet community. With reference to the previous post that discusses about the free software, I would like to comment on an important part of the internet users life - the internet browser. Previously, like all software, browsers were bundled with Oses. But with Firefox and a host of others giving free downloads of their feature-rich browsers, users are now faced with a plethora of options to choose from.
Arguably, Microsoft Corpn.'s Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox have been on the forefront. Internet Explorer, now available in version 7 and Firefox in it's 1.5 version have taken up most of the market. But a long time player has now come up with it's new version in a bid to capture a chunk of the browser pie. This new entrant is Opera v9.

The next part of the post has been taken from the News.com website - http://news.com.com/Opera+releases+beta+of+latest+browser/2100-1032_3-6063153.html?tag=nl

Opera Software on Thursday released a beta version of its free browser, Opera 9, which offers features such as small Web applications and content blocking.

The beta for Opera 9 will include six new features ranging from Widgets, or small Web programs, to support for download technology BitTorrent to customization of search engines.

"Opera 9 brings powerful new features to enhance the Web browsing experience and empower Web 2.0 developers," Jon Tetzchner, Opera chief executive, said in a statement. The small Web applications will range from streaming news to games to multimedia capabilities and allow developers to also create their own and share them, without regard to the operating system.

Opera 9 also aims to allow users to click a torrent file and begin its download without having to rely on a separate BitTorrent application for downloading large files. Users will also have the option of customizing which search engine to use with their browser and the ability to block content, such as certain ads or images, on a particular Web page. Other features are designed to enable users to open a number of tabs at once in Opera 9 and view the contents via a thumbnail preview or image.

Users are encouraged to try put this version of the software and post their reviews here.