Opera is a powerful web browser and deserves much more recognition than it's been getting. I've been using Opera since 2000 and have never been disappointed. With the much anticipated release of Firefox 3, and the always disappointing releases of Microsoft Internet Explorer, I'm sticking with Opera.
If you use Internet Explorer, you need to switch to something else. It's an easy target for viruses because it's so widely used and in my opinion it's inherently easier to exploit. Plus, there are really no features of Internet Explorer that haven't been available in other browsers for a long time already. Only recently has Internet Explorer incorporated tabbed browsing - a feature available in Opera almost a decade ago. So, I'd argue that there is no compelling reason to stick with Internet Explorer other than the fact that it's the default browser. This is probably the main reason why most people use it.
I can't really argue against switching to Firefox. It's a fine browser and is gaining momentum with more and more users every day. It is well supported, free, and has a wealth of plugins and extensions that enhance it's functionality. As an Opera user, I am envious of all the cool extensions available in Firefox. My favorite being the Scrapbook extension, which allows you to edit and save web pages in an archive. The extension indexes the pages which makes searching ultra fast. It's the perfect tool for working on a research report, as well as general browsing. I highly recommend it.
As for Opera, the main benefits are it's fast page rendering, superior zoom capability, and keyboard shortcuts for virtually every function available. I'm a keyboard freak, and I rarely use the mouse unless absolutely necessary. Many people have complained about memory leaks in Firefox where the application just slowly takes over more and more memory the longer you leave it running. No such problems with Opera. The upcoming Opera 9.5 will also include bookmark synchronization where you can run Opera on multiple computers and any bookmarks you save will be synched to the other computers automatically.
Opera also automatically saves sessions. I regularly have 40 or more windows open in Opera browsing various web pages. I can close Opera and come back the next day and it will automatically reload every page including page history to the state I last left it. You can do this with an extension in Firefox. Very handy.
The page navigation features in Opera are superior to every other browser. Press TAB or Shift-TAB and you move forward and backwards through the available text fields on a page. Pressing A or Q moves you through the links on a page sequentially. Pressing Z or X moves you forward and backwards through your page history (Forward and backward buttons, i.e. Alt Left Arrow, Alt Right Arrow). Ctrl+ and Ctrl- allow you to zoom the page in increments of 10%. Keys 1 and 2 scroll forward and backwards through the tabs. You can search links on the page by pressing comma or period and start typing. If you find the link you want, you can press enter to click the link. I use this feature all the time.
There are many more convenient features in Opera and there's even a portable version that allows you to keep Opera on a USB key and have it with you wherever you go. No need to install it on every computer.
Opera is a great browser, although Firefox seems to be getting more market share. I think Firefox is a fine choice for many people, and I am very impressed with it in general. But if you're like me and you want superior keyboard shortcuts and fast page rendering, give Opera a try. You might find something you'll really like.
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