Software Update: Opera 6.0 Beta 1

spaceboy writes: “Opera Software has released a first 6.0 beta of the well-known Opera browser.” The features look promising:

Features:

new look

Opera’s user interface has received a major overhaul with a new start-up dialog, default simple menubar (that can be enlarged to a full menubar by right-clicking), skin and panels in a blue and white color scheme. Users can choose default, classic Opera look or their own design.

Panels

Users can place their favorite Web pages in panels that are displayed in the hotlist during their browsing session. Web pages for panels have to be optimized to the hotlist size. Panels are available at my.opera.com.

Single/Multiple Document Interface

At start-up, users can select a single or multiple document interface (SDI/MDI). Opera is most known for its multiple user interface, but users of IE and Netscape may feel more at ease in the single document interface, and can graduate later as advanced users to the multiple document interface.

hot click

Double-click a word or right-click a selected phrase and a pop-up menu is displayed full of powerful features including search, encyclopedia look-up, and translation.

Personal Bar

Users can organize and personalize favorite bookmarks and searches in one place.

page bar

New pagebar in the single document interface mode (SDI) lets users keep track of visited Web pages and drag bookmarks from the Personal Bar to the pagebar.

bookmarks

Users can search bookmarks or sort them by title, date created, when visited or customize their own ordering.

drag and drop

Drag and drop bookmarks between hotlist and the Personal Bar.

Preferences

Preferences section has been reorganized and has a new look. For quick access to important preferences, simply press F12.

keyboard shortcuts

New keyboard shortcuts in addition to the many popular easy full keyboard shortcuts already in Opera.

Unicode

For the first time, Opera supports the Unicode Worldwide Character Set, making Opera available in local languages ​​for the Asian/Pacific and Eastern European regions.

LiveConnect

Opera now has support for LiveConnect, to enable scripting of Java applets and plug-ins through JavaScript.

Run more than one Opera

Users can now run more than one instance of Opera at a time, thereby letting different users of one computer use separate preferences for set-up, e-mail, bookmarks, etc.

Improved window handling

Switch easily between document windows with the new Ctrl+Tab feature.

E-mail

New import update lets users import email from Microsoft Outlook accounts. Added Transport Layer Security (TLS) support for POP and SMTP accounts increases e-mail security.

Standards-Compliance

Opera continues its commitment to the standards as laid out by the W3C. Opera 6.0 for Windows supports the following technologies: 128-bit encryption, TLS 1.0, SSL 2 and 3, CSS1 and partial CSS2, XML, HTML 4.01, HTTP 1.1, ECMAScript, JavaScript 1.3, WAP/WML and partial support for DOM.