Opera 11 Release Candidate Out

Google does not seem to the only company that has accelerated the pace of browser development in the last year. Opera Software yesterday released the first Opera 11 release candidate, a big milestone in the development of the new Opera browser.

Opera 11 RC 1 is available for the supported operating systems Microsoft Windows, Mac and Linux / FreeBSD. Interested users can download the new browser version from the Opera Desktop Team blog. Existing Opera users need to note that the release candidate will use the default installation folder of the latest Opera stable release if installed on the system. It is possible as usually to click on Options to change the installation path or use the browser as a standalone web browser without installation.

So what's new and hot in Opera 11? Probably the biggest addition are extensions which work much like Google Chrome extensions do. Users can install extensions from an add-on repository maintained at the official Opera website. Extensions are installed and uninstalled without browser reboots.

But that's just one of the new features. Opera Software has improved the performance and speed of the browser making Opera 11 one of the fastest available browsers. Other new features include tab groups to improve tab management, visual mouse gestures to control Opera with the mouse, an improve Opera Mail module or support for several HTML5 features.

• Tab stacking - Opera pioneered powerful tabs. In Opera 11, tab stacking lets you drag one tab over another to create a group. Now, you can keep dozens of webpages open, organized and under control.
• A safer address field - Opera's new address field hides the complexity of long web addresses and gives you better control of your security when browsing. Click on the badge for the website to see information about the site you are visiting. You can even get information about Opera Turbo data savings.
• Extensions support - You can now browse Opera's extensions catalog to add new functionality easily and customize Opera just how you want it.
• Visual mouse gestures - Mouse gestures are another Opera innovation that has been made easier-to-use with the addition of an interface that guides you. This allows new users to discover the speed and power that mouse gestures offer.
• Better performance - Our developers have been hard at work fine-tuning our browser engine to put Opera even further ahead in a number of benchmarks. In Opera 11, pages load faster and complex applications run more smoothly.
• Enhanced HTML5 support - Support for new standards and HTML5 technologies means that rich, dynamic web applications and multiplayer games can be supported by Opera 11.
• Extended auto-update - A new auto-update system ensures that your extensions and Opera Unite apps are always up to date with the latest enhancements.
• Search predictions from Google - Search suggestions predict queries as you type, making searching quicker and easier. Google search predictions are now built into Opera. When using the search field or searching from the address field with the 'g' search keyword, Google search predictions will appear.
• Plug-ins only on demand - An option has now been added to have plug-ins such as Flash content load only when clicked. This is especially helpful to speed up browsing on computers that have difficulty handling lots of plug-in content.
• Enhanced email in your browser - A new mail panel gives you control over the order in which your accounts and mail items show up. You can just drag items where you want them. The mail panel can also show your mail panel when you are using it and hide when you leave a mail tab.
• Faster installation - Even with its many new features, Opera 11 is 30% smaller than Opera 10.60. That means that Opera downloads more quickly and installs in fewer steps. Getting Opera on your computer is easier than ever.

It is very likely that the developers will ship Opera 11 final in this year. We keep you posted on the development. (via Caschy)

Update: Opera 11 Release Candidate 2 has just been released. Download the new version here.