RSSOpera to launch 'Turbo' for faster Web browsing
By Jacqueline Emigh | Published February 13, 2009, 7:10 PM
Opera Software will next week roll out Turbo, a new server-enabled compression technology for speeding up Web browsing on PCs, mobile phones, gaming machines, and other devices.
Although many of the details are being withheld until Turbo's official launch at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Opera shared some information with journalists this week.
Opera officials contend that Turbo will speed Web browsing by compressing data traffic on wireless and other networks by an average of 80 percent for mobile phones and 71 percent for laptops PCs, for example.
"This high level of data compression ensures the scalability of network resources, enabling more users to receive a high quality browsing experience," according to a white paper obtained from Opera by Betanews.
A diagram in the white paper shows the Opera Turbo Server interfacing between the Internet and three Turbo-enabled clients running on end user devices: Opera Browser, Opera Mobile, and Opera Devices SDK (Software Developers Kit).
While Opera already offers a "server-side optimization" technology called Opera Mini, Opera Turbo will take a different approach, according to Michelle Valdivia Lien, an Opera spokesperson.
"We first tackled compression with Opera Mini, which transcodes pages before transmitting to [a mobile] phone. With Opera Turbo, we're taking optimization to a new level, without transcoding and without compromising the user experience," Lien said today, in an e-mail to Betanews.
Opera is also positioning Turbo as a tool for helping wireless and other network operators to get a better understanding of users' Web browsing behavior.
"By leveraging Opera's server infrastructure, operators can gain insights into consumer behavior by analyzing reports on browsing patterns," according to Opera's white paper.
They better keep users privacy otherwise I will stop using Opera which is what I am using now.
Score: 1
|I love to see people worried abut privacy with Opera... There are other data collection services that should worry. I think none of you actually use Chrome, or even hotmail, yahoo mail, gmail or most firefox extensions. All of the mentioned product actually collect your data without giving any significant advantage.
Now, Opera gives you 50% increase in browsing speed and you rise your voice against it? Come on!
Opera is one of the most innovative browser company, which does not use marketing massively to impose their products. They develop almost silently and give the best products available for free! They deserve Respect.
Score: 0
|Firefox extensions collect data? Any proof?
When the day comes that Opera will not freeze up well deciding if it can render a page or not is when it will grace my computers again. I do not see that happening anytime soon.
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|Just an example: http://www.askdavetaylor...tension_be_spyware.html and http://www.wenpoint.com/.../adspyware/as061001.php
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|yeah, no thanks... opera wants my data? screw that... if they are including this built in as a browser feature, one would hope its opt-in/out and off by default
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|""By leveraging Opera's server infrastructure, operators can gain insights into consumer behavior by analyzing reports on browsing patterns," according to Opera's white paper."
No thanks I wish to browse with some privacy.
Score: 2
|On re-reading it it suggests this isn't really anything to do with Opera, more to do with the companies that want to collect data.
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|There's no better browser available for my HTC Touch HD at present, all the other mobile browsers I've tried either don't have the features, or are just too slow. If Opera can speed up this browser without making the client any more memory or cpu hungry, then well done to them! (typed on my phone in Opera)
Score: 1
|The gzip compression only works on the HTML code, not images and streaming content (well streaming content is already supposed to be tightly compressed). Anyways, this is nothing new cause AOL has speedbooster, and Netscape had something, and well everyone has this type of thing (there are freely available proxy servers that do this too). I think a company like Opera should be looking at ways to promote their browser, not writing yet another proxy proxy. It's no wonder why so many businesses are in the dumps (minus the recession).
Score: 3
|I know that there's a standard for gzip compression over the web but I have no idea how widely it's used.
I do know a browser can indicate with a header that it can accept gzip compressed content, and then a server can return content thus compressed, but I don't think most servers actually do this.
Still it would be a more universal and already implemented solution with no need for users to install any software or take any action (well it might depend if mobile browsers support this or not) and all server operators need to do is set a flag in their config files...
Score: 0
|Too bad they fail to mention that on mobile phones, that extra decompression step speeds up browsing, but also speeds up the rate at which the CPU drains power. Maybe that's a good trade off, but in my experience the battery lasts less than a day using opera mobile compared to the standard browser that comes with the phone. Guess we would have to see some research done to see if the time saved is worth the shorter battery life.
Also, there are plenty of other compression methods available in all current web server applications, and support in all major browsers, but in most cases they aren't used because the overhead of compression on the CPU outweighs the savings in bandwidth.
Score: 2
|It'll be interesting to see what this is.
I don't like the last paragraph though.
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|All of our traffic is already analyzed fifty different ways..this is nothing new. Of course, Opera is a piece of junk that nobody uses so its irrelevant anyway.
Score: -5
|Most disparaging remark to make about the 17 people who still use Opera psycros. Piece of junk it may be, but then some folk are still using Firefox instead of Chrome, now that is really, really silly.
Score: -4
|It may not be widely used, but Opera is far from a piece of junk. It's been my browser of choice for a long time, and I find it much more appealing to use than both IE and Firefox.
Score: 4
|Opera is trying do what IE8
is not able to Do that is to provide users with speed with out taking much of the Resources
in other words just like XPSP3 rather than VISTASP2.
Hope what ever happens it WE the USERS ARE Benifited from it
I use opera mini & ITS JST GREAT
its fast,easy & more custumizable &
all those who hv stated opera mini is s***
may be u should use it first rather than just stating your opinion without using it
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|Saper, can you speak English?
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|What's wrong with you people? Can I hand out sticks so that you can clobber each other or are you just a bunch of teenagers posting here?
I use Firefox, Opera, IE AND Chrome as I do web development as I need to test my creations on as many browsers as I can, and I can tell you this: Opera is NOT crap (neither is IE, Firefox OR Chrome). It works perfectly with XP, Vista AND Linux (Use it for a while and THEN comment on usability etc.).
Use whatever you like. Post your opinions. But do you have to act like this? Please grow up!
Personally, I love using Opera. I think they are doing a wonderfull job. We'll have to wait and see how well the "Turbo" idea pans out. Only time will tell if it will make a viable difference!
Score: -1
|langbaba : "Personally, I love using Opera. I think they are doing a wonderfull(sic) job"
That's the b**** about Opera if used when insulting folk, it has no spell-checker, and you it would appear need one.
Score: -1
|Sturgess,
"That's the b**** about Opera if used when insulting folk, it has no spell-checker, and you it would appear need one."
Pity Firefox doesn't have a grammar checker. It would appear you need one. Just sayin'....
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|Nowt wrong with me grammar anonymouscowturd, I went to a proper school I did. I'm a Google Chrome user for the record, FireFox, that's old hat friend.
Score: -1
|Ha, ha, ha ... good one. Non native english speaker I am (Spelling has never been my strong point)!
I think I do quite well being from Africa and all, don't you ;-)
I can blame my bad spelling on Apartheid, don't you see!
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|You see langbabado, you do have a sense of humour after all. Important to remember that Opera users have been put on this earth so that we, that would be the Chrome users, can make fun of them. Well I've checked my spelling, and that seems OK. Punctuation alas has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I work on the assumption that if I read what I have written out loud, when I run out of breath it's time for a comma, when I feel faint then it's time for a full stop, oh and a cup of tea.
Score: 0
|Ah, but now, my good sir, you have misspelled my name!
Goes to show, a bit of humor a day ... but I think we are going a bit off-topic here?
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