As I have stated previously, I am a download junkie. I am constantly downloading and trying out new (and mostly free) software. Over the last year or so, I have tried literally hundreds of different programs, including at least 20 different browsers. Of all those I have tried I now use primarily two browsers – Opera and Flock. I use Opera about 80% of the time – it has an excellent buiilt-in mail program (which I also use), and it is the fastest browser out there when it comes to page loading (for specific test results look here). I also use Flock, which is built on the Mozilla platform, but unlike Firefox, it is specifically designed for those of us who blog. I’ll say more about it in an upcoming post.

But first, I want to encourage those of you read my blog (all ten to twenty of you) to give Opera a try, if you have not done so already. Until last year, many refused to try Opera since it was not a free browser (although if you did not want to pay the $39 for it, you could use an ad-based version). I did this myself, because I found that even with the ads, Opera was the most versatile and fastest browser. Now, however, Opera is free, and it’s latest version (Opera 9) is getting rave reviews. One recent review comes from Gareth McCumskey, the editor of ISP Directory, who also reviews and grades Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox. Of the three major Windows browsers he reviewed, Opera 9 received the highest marks, followed by Firefox and IE. In particular, he grades the browsers as follows:

Internet Explorer – 36%

Firefox – 88%

Opera – 93%

You can read McCumsky’s full review here. In addition, the UK’s best-selling internet magazine Webuser has an overwhelmingly positive review of Opera. You can find their review here, but this is their ending paragraph which they entitle Verdict:

Evidently seeking to innovate rather than imitate, Opera 9 leaves other browsers in the shade. It’s packed with clever features that make web surfing simpler, speedier and safer, but is still straightforward to use and loads pages at lightning speed. Although Firefox fans may miss having thousands of extensions to play with, Opera’s versatility and powerful performance make it a worthy rival to the browsers from Mozilla and Microsoft, who will probably be eyeing some of its new tools with interest.

So let me say it again, in case you haven’t heard it by now – try Opera. If you use it for just one or two weeks, I am sure you will make it your browser of choice.

Disclaimer: I am not, unfortunately, being paid anything for this recommendation : )