Why I've switched to Opera

Fri Feb 18 16:48:20 UTC 2011

On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 12:13 AM, Walter Dnes <waltdnes-SLHPyeZ9y/tg9hUCZPvPmw at public.gmane.org> wrote:
>  There was an article on Slashdot a day or so ago about yet more
> cra^H^H^H "features" that the Mozilla people will be stuffing into
> Firefox.  Arrrrrgh.
>
>  The final straw came when setting up my notebook.  This is a
> relatively new laptop, with just 64-bit Gentoo linux, X, and a few apps
> installed.  Gentoo generally downloads source tarballs, except for a few
> binaries.  Here's what I get when doing "emerge -pv" (a "pretend"
> install in verbose mode) with *MINIMAL* dependancies for each of the
> browsers...
>
> Opera Total: 5 packages: 12,154 kB
> Firefox Total: 19 packages: 114,170 kB
> Chromium Total: 37 packages: 229,649 kB
>
>  No, the Opera download number is *NOT* missing a digit <G>.  See below
> for the gory details.
>
> [aa1][root][~] emerge -pv opera
> These are the packages that would be merged, in order:
>
> Calculating dependencies... done!
> [ebuild N ] dev-util/gperf-3.0.4 961 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXcursor-1.1.11 USE="-static-libs" 267 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/xcb-util-0.3.6 USE="-debug -test" 287 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXcomposite-0.4.3 USE="-doc -static-libs" 241 kB
> [ebuild N ] www-client/opera-11.01.1190 USE="-gstreamer -gtk -kde" LINGUAS="-be -bg -cs -da -de -el -en_GB -es_ES -es_LA -et -fi -fr -fr_CA -fy -hi -hr -hu -id -it -ja -ka -ko -lt -mk -nb -nl -nn -pl -pt -pt_BR -ro -ru -sk -sr -sv -ta -te -tr -uk -vi -zh_CN -zh_HK -zh_TW" 10,399 kB
>
> Total: 5 packages (5 new), Size of downloads: 12,154 kB
>
> [aa1][root][~] emerge -pv firefox
> These are the packages that would be merged, in order:
>
> Calculating dependencies... done!
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/nspr-4.8.6 USE="-debug" 1,175 kB
> [ebuild NS ] sys-devel/autoconf-2.13 [2.65-r1] 434 kB
> [ebuild N ] app-arch/zip-3.0 USE="-bzip2 -crypt -unicode" 1,258 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/libIDL-0.8.14 USE="-debug" 418 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/libevent-1.4.14b 464 kB
> [ebuild N ] app-dicts/myspell-en-20081002 6,881 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXcursor-1.1.11 USE="-static-libs" 267 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/atk-1.30.0 USE="-doc (-introspection)" 729 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-misc/shared-mime-info-0.80 568 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXcomposite-0.4.3 USE="-doc -static-libs" 241 kB
> [ebuild N ] app-vim/gtk-syntax-20091024 145 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-db/sqlite-3.7.2 USE="-debug -doc -extensions -fts3 -icu -readline -secure-delete -soundex -tcl -test -threadsafe -unlock-notify" 1,464 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/cairo-1.10.2-r1 USE="X opengl svg (-aqua) -debug -directfb -doc (-drm) (-gallium) (-openvg) -qt4 -static-libs -xcb" 23,007 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/nss-3.12.8 USE="-utils" 5,813 kB
> [ebuild N ] app-text/hunspell-1.2.11 USE="-ncurses -nls -readline" LINGUAS="-af -bg -ca -cs -cy -da -de -el -en -eo -es -et -fo -fr -ga -gl -he -hr -hu -id -it -ku -lt -lv -mk -ms -nb -nl -nn -pl -pt -ro -ru -sk -sl -sv -sw -tn -uk -zu" 905 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/pango-1.28.3 USE="X -debug -doc (-introspection) -test" 1,475 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/gtk+-2.20.1-r1 USE="jpeg tiff vim-syntax (-aqua) -cups -debug -doc (-introspection) -jpeg2k -test -xinerama" 18,642 kB
> [ebuild N ] net-libs/xulrunner-1.9.2.13 USE="-alsa -custom-optimization -dbus -debug -gnome -ipc -java -libnotify -startup-notification -system-sqlite -wifi" 50,288 kB
> [ebuild N ] www-client/firefox-3.6.13 USE="-alsa -bindist -custom-optimization -dbus -gnome -ipc -java -libnotify -startup-notification -system-sqlite -wifi" LINGUAS="-af -ar -as -be -bg -bn -bn_BD -bn_IN -ca -cs -cy -da -de -el -en -en_GB -en_US -eo -es -es_AR -es_CL -es_ES -es_MX -et -eu -fa -fi -fr -fy -fy_NL -ga -ga_IE -gl -gu -gu_IN -he -hi -hi_IN -hr -hu -id -is -it -ja -ka -kk -kn -ko -ku -lt -lv -mk -ml -mr -nb -nb_NO -nl -nn -nn_NO -oc -or -pa -pa_IN -pl -pt -pt_BR -pt_PT -rm -ro -ru -si -sk -sl -sq -sr -sv -sv_SE -ta -ta_LK -te -th -tr -uk -vi -zh_CN -zh_TW" 6 kB
>
> Total: 19 packages (18 new, 1 in new slot), Size of downloads: 114,170 kB
>
> [aa1][root][~] emerge -pv www-client/chromium
> These are the packages that would be merged, in order:
>
> Calculating dependencies... done!
> [ebuild N ] dev-util/gperf-3.0.4 961 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/icu-4.6 USE="-debug -doc -examples -static-libs" 15,180 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/nspr-4.8.6 USE="-debug" 1,175 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-perl/XML-NamespaceSupport-1.11 51 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-misc/shared-mime-info-0.80 568 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/libevent-1.4.14b 464 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-util/chromium-tools-0.1.6 USE="-subversion" 3 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXtst-1.2.0 USE="-doc -static-libs" 276 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXScrnSaver-1.2.1 USE="-static-libs" 263 kB
> [ebuild N ] media-libs/libvpx-0.9.5 USE="mmx sse sse2 threads (-altivec) -debug -doc -postproc -sse3 -ssse3" 1,222 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-apps/xprop-1.2.0 126 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-util/desktop-file-utils-0.17 USE="-emacs" 274 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXxf86misc-1.0.3 USE="-static-libs" 250 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-proto/fontcacheproto-0.1.3 83 kB
> [ebuild N ] sys-apps/dbus-1.4.1 USE="X -debug -doc (-selinux) -static-libs -test" 1,807 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXcursor-1.1.11 USE="-static-libs" 267 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/atk-1.30.0 USE="-doc (-introspection)" 729 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXcomposite-0.4.3 USE="-doc -static-libs" 241 kB
> [ebuild N ] app-vim/gtk-syntax-20091024 145 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-db/sqlite-3.7.2 USE="-debug -doc -extensions -fts3 -icu -readline -secure-delete -soundex -tcl -test -threadsafe -unlock-notify" 1,464 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-themes/hicolor-icon-theme-0.12 38 kB
> [ebuild N ] perl-core/Storable-2.20 174 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/cairo-1.10.2-r1 USE="X opengl svg (-aqua) -debug -directfb -doc (-drm) (-gallium) (-openvg) -qt4 -static-libs -xcb" 23,007 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-perl/XML-SAX-0.16 59 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/nss-3.12.8 USE="-utils" 5,813 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-libs/dbus-glib-0.88 USE="-bash-completion -debug -doc -static-libs -test" 673 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/libXfontcache-1.0.5 USE="-debug" 235 kB
> [ebuild N ] virtual/perl-Storable-2.20 0 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-apps/xset-1.2.1 122 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/pango-1.28.3 USE="X -debug -doc (-introspection) -test" 1,475 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-perl/XML-LibXML-1.70 332 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-libs/gtk+-2.20.1-r1 USE="jpeg tiff vim-syntax (-aqua) -cups -debug -doc (-introspection) -jpeg2k -test -xinerama" 18,642 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-misc/xdg-utils-1.0.2_p20100618 USE="-doc" 298 kB
> [ebuild N ] dev-perl/XML-Simple-2.18 70 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-misc/icon-naming-utils-0.8.90 69 kB
> [ebuild N ] x11-themes/gnome-icon-theme-2.30.3 15,610 kB
> [ebuild N ] www-client/chromium-9.0.597.94 USE="-cups -gecko-mediaplayer -gnome -gnome-keyring -system-sqlite (-system-v8)" 137,501 kB
>
> Total: 37 packages (37 new), Size of downloads: 229,649 kB
>

Firefox is bloated. Not news.

Chromium includes a lot of extras, if I'm not mistaken, including the
Flash player and .. a PDF viewer built in ... I think. In any case, on
my ancient P4 it has no problems whatsoever.

Anyway, my first concern with applications is not how small they are,
but how good the experience is and how useful they are. I've tried
Opera, but there was nothing compelling.

-- 
TBM
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