A new browser is aiming to take on heavyweights Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox by offering useful functions for power users. Created by a team backed by former Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner, Vivaldi launched in technical preview last week, and though many features are reminiscent of other browsers, it also adds in a few extra tricks.
As is to be expected, Chrome and Opera influenced the design, with the browser also using Chromium as its main code base. On top, the team has added standard mainstays of modern browsers, such as the speed dial page, but it also extends to making navigating the Internet quicker and easier. The speed dial page can be set up with multiple categories of site, and while individual tabs are colored to match the favicon used by the site, similar tabs can also be grouped together, with a small indicator above the group tab showing how many pages are included inside.
On the more intensive side, a Quick Commands pop-up box can be summoned by a keyboard shortcut. Users can then either type in search terms or the name of a setting or option they need to access, getting whatever they require without removing their hands from the keyboard. A Notes panel will allow website readers to leave a reminder about a specific page, with the note reappearing when they return to the site at a later time.
Since it is a technical preview, the team has a number of things it wants to improve on or add in the future. A mail client and cross-device synchronization are in the works, along with performance increases, extension support, and “Spatial Navigation” for web surfing using just the keyboard.
The Vivaldi technical preview is available to download now for Windows, OS X, and Linux.
