On first run, a dialog asks if you want Opera to be your default Web browser. Installation options let you choose from an impressive 50-plus languages. Opera installation is as snappy as that of the other current browsers: You download a very small stub installer, which then installs and downloads the full browser in no time flat. The company behind Opera recently agreed to be acquired by a Chinese consortium (Opens in a new window) that we hope continues the company's tradition of innovation, strong privacy features, and independence continues.

After loading up on and subsequently stripping itself of unique features, Opera has returned to innovating and differentiating itself, with built-in ad-blocking, pop-out video, a battery saver, a turbo compression scheme, and now even a free built-in virtual private network (or VPN) that's as fast as many premium services.

In fact, several things we take for granted in our Web experience originated in the Norwegian-built browser, including a tabbed interface, popup blockers, and integrated search. Opera has a long history of creating innovative in the Web browsers.

Some sites balk at an unrecognized browser.

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