Ex-Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner has rolled out the first technical preview of the new browser dubbed Vivaldi, which he claims is specifically designed for people “who have problems” fitting all their open tabs onto one screen.
Explaining about the new browser, von Tetzchner said “Most browsers makers in the market are trying to make a limited browser, maybe with extensions. But that is not what everyone wants. As an example, there are still about 20 million people still using Opera 12, even though that browser is more than 3 years old. There is a need for a browser for the tech user, the user that wants more from their browser.”
Some of the notable features of the new browser include personalized notes, advanced bookmark manager, “speed dial” interface which shows most accessed tabs on the new tab page, tab stacking and quick commands feature which let users access all the browser’s core functions with a single keyboard shortcut.
The browser features a streamlined and straightforward interface. In the upper left corner, there’s a small menu button; below that the address bar with home, back, forward and refresh buttons to its left. There is also a left sidebar for quick access to browser features such as bookmarks, contacts, downloads, and notes. At the very bottom of the sidebar is a settings icon for quick access to the browser’s preferences.
Upcoming features for the browser will include mail, cross-device syncing, and spatial navigation, which will allow users to move around the Web using only a keyboard.
Vivaldi is currently available as a technical preview for Windows, Mac or Linux. Tetzchner has confirmed that a mobile phone and a tablet version of the browser are in the pipeline.
