Another Web browser?

Two Norwegian researchers created a Web browser called Opera a few yearsago, and are now shipping a 32-bit version. It doesn't support Java applets, ActiveX controls, and contains basically unusable mail and newsprograms. It does, however, have a cult following due to its heavy useof single-key keyboard functions, quickness, customizability, and use ofWindows's MDI feature to allow multiple-window browsing.So what's the point, you ask? I'm not sure, actually--we certainly don'tneed another browser, and Opera isn't quite ready for primetime: it crashes a lot and it's feature-set is still lacking a bit. But there'ssomething compelling about this program, and the multi-window featuresis cool, especially on a big monitor. Each window can have its own homepage, for example, and the windows can be arranged in numerous ways. TheNew York Times calls it the "Porsche of Web navigation in a world ofChevy and Honda browsers." If you have some time to kill and want to try something a little different, then go for it. I found the program to bequirky, probably because it's very different than the typical browser,though very similar to other Windows apps.Opera is available for download in 16- and 32-bit versions. Each downloadis less than a Megabyte. The full retail product costs only $30