OPERA 8 Web Browser Released

Speed, Security and Simplicity: 
Opera 8 Web Browser Released Today
 
Oslo, Norway - April 19, 2005 - Opera Software today launched the highly
anticipated new version of its browser, Opera 8 for Windows and Linux.
Internet users can now surf the Web faster, safer and easier than before.
Opera 8 is a substantial upgrade from previous versions, and includes new
features such as a unique security information field that indicates the
trustworthiness of banking and shopping Web sites and voice interaction
capabilities. The new version of Opera also introduces an advanced
page-resizing function that adapts Web pages to fit the width of any screen
or window. Today's release for Windows is available in English, German, Dutch
and Polish, with more languages to follow. The Linux version is available in
English, also with more languages to come. A beta version of Opera 8 for Mac
(English) is also available today.

"The vast majority of Internet users have had to deal with a slow and
insecure browser for too long. People are spending more time online, and with
the increase in online fraud it is vital that they have a browser that is
fast, secure and easy to use. That's what we offer with Opera 8," says Håkon
Wium Lie, CTO, Opera Software. "We've been in the browser-making business for
a long time and I can proudly say that Opera 8 is a major leap in browser
innovation."

Opera fans welcomed the previously released beta versions of Opera 8 with
download numbers reaching nearly one million. The first beta version
introduced XHTML+Voice with IBM WebSphere Multimodal Environment, which is
designed to allow a user to navigate the Internet with voice commands.
Testers of this beta also experienced ERA, Opera's new feature that adjusts
Web content to fit virtually any screen or window size. The two beta versions
to follow introduced new security solutions and native support for Scalable
Vector Graphics (SVG 1.1 Tiny) that enables rich multimedia content such as
scalable maps. The final version of Opera 8 has undergone rigorous testing by
Opera's Quality Assurance department and devoted users around the world.

"With 10 years of listening to the needs of Internet users, we believe we
have released a product that sets a new standard for Web browsing," says Jon
S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. "Security has long been a top priority
for Opera. To further protect people online we've added the new security
information field. Opera 8 is designed for all users, and it has a simple and
intuitive interface that can be customized to fit anyone's needs."

What to look for in Opera 8:
 
SPEED
Considered "the fastest browser on Earth", Opera's speed is the result of its
tightly coded core and Opera's rendering engine, which is designed to display
the text of the page as quickly as possible. Plus, Opera offers quick
navigation with keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures, as well as range of
features for more efficient surfing, such as the option to open all your
favorite pages at once.
 
SECURITY
Security on the Internet is an increasing concern as the public becomes more
aware of vulnerabilities in other browsers. Opera makes security top priority
and as a result, Opera 8 includes new and advanced security measures. A new
security information field is automatically activated when you visit a secure
Web site, indicating the level of security (1-3) and the certificate owner of
the site. This allows users to better evaluate a site's trustworthiness and
minimize the risk of being subjected to online fraud, such as phishing
attacks.
 
SIMPLICITY
Opera 8 offers a simplified tabbed-browser user interface (UI). The default
UI design is cleaner, more intuitive and allows for easy navigation.
Moreover, users do not need to download additional extensions to access a
wide range of features. Advanced features remain built-in and easily
activated.
 
ERA
Opera's Extensible Rendering Architecture (ERA) technology enables the "fit
to window width" feature that adapts Web pages to fit to the width of the
screen or browser window, eliminating the need to scroll horizontally. This
is a great feature for small- and medium-sized screens, or to tile Web sites
next to each other on the screen. Combined with Opera's zoom function, users
can magnify Web pages and still fit them on the screen.
 
VOICE
The voice feature allows users to surf the Web by using voice commands and to
have documents read aloud. Voice is currently offered in English and runs on
Windows 2000 and XP.

TRASH CAN
By clicking on the gray trash can located in the upper right of the screen,
users can access all the closed windows and blocked pop-ups from their
Internet surfing session.

SVG
Opera includes native support for Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG 1.1 Tiny), an
XML language for rich graphical content used to develop enhanced, interactive
multimedia.

  
For a complete list of Opera 8 features visit www.opera.com/features
or to view the changelog visit www.opera.com/docs/changelogs
 
Availability
Download Opera 8 at www.opera.com
Opera 8 Reviewers' Guide: http://www.opera.com/press/reviews/
Opera 8 is available free of charge with an unobtrusive banner at the top of
the user interface. To remove the banner users must register the browser for
USD 39, though various discounts are offered. 
 
About Opera Software ASA
Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web browser
technology, targeting the desktop, smartphone, PDA, home media and vertical
markets. Partners include companies such as IBM, Nokia, Sony, Motorola,
Adobe, Macromedia, Symbian, Canal+ Technologies, Sony Ericsson, Kyocera,
Sharp, Motorola Metroworks, MontaVista Software, BenQ, Sendo and AMD. The
Opera browser has received international recognition from users, industry
experts and media for being faster, smaller and more standards-compliant than
other browsers. 
 
Opera's browser technology is cross-platform and modular, and currently
available on the following operating systems: Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Symbian
OS, Windows Mobile, BREW, QNX, TRON, FreeBSD, Solaris and Mediahighway.
 
Opera Software ASA is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with development centers
in Linkoping and Gothenburg, Sweden. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock
Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at
www.opera.com.

Contact:
Eskil Sivertsen
Public Relations Manager
Opera Software 
www.opera.com
Oslo, Norway

E-mail: press04@opera.com
Tel: +47 24164213