>How about security, compatibility and stability?


SECURITY --

Opera is not immune to security issues, but isn't as full of
potential holes as IE, I suppose.

You can find out more information here:
http://www.opera.com/support/config/security.html

Also, here's something to help you set security preference:
http://www.searchengineworld.com/opera/privacy_security_preferences.htm

I said, "I suppose" up there because IE's installed base is titanic.
So, even if there were as many holes in Opera, the very fact that
fewer people are using it may cause some (many?) bugs to go
undiscovered.


COMPATIBILITY --

Opera will render pages a bit differently than IE in some respects.

However, there are a couple of things I would consider here:

1. You can alter how Opera presents itself to a Web site. In other
words, you can set Opera to respond that it's Opera, MSIE 5.0, or
several version of Mozilla. This means that sites that _do_ check
browser and alter their output could help.

I have run across a few sites on (GASP!!!) microsoft.com that will
not display properly or at all if you set Opera to identify itself as
MSIE 5.0. For instance, Hotmail just doesn't work. However, if you
set Opera to identify itself as Opera, Hotmail will warn you that it
prefers IE. Otherwise it works fine.

2. You will have to install Sun's Java Runtime Engine even if you are
using an MS O.S. with Java "built-in." This may cause some pages with
Java apps to operate differently.


STABILITY --

Opera has never crashed on me.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Mike Whalen




--
Cheers,

Mike Whalen
The Computer Valet

E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Phone: (978) 670-5967

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