Opera CEO on Devices, Linux, and Web 2.0

An anonymous reader writes "LinuxDevices has an interview with Jon S. von Tetzchner, co-founder and CEO of Opera Software, on the growing importance of device computing, Linux in the device space, browsers as an interface platform for Linux devices, and how future WHAT standards like WebForms 2.0 and Canvas will make the Web more usable on mobile computing devices of tomorrow."

WHAT is Ajax...?

Simultaneously both a question and a statement!

The WHAT working draft Web Applications 1.0 [whatwg.org] certainly looks like Ajax with its XMLHttpRequest, drag and drop and other Ajaxish stuff.

Not just a web browser

With widgets [opera.com] (new in Opera9 Tech-Preview 2, examples [opera.com] here), opera is not only a web browser, its truly an application platform, capable of running independent programs. The current examples are true to the namesake, widgets, little gizmo's to show time &what not, but its the first time the graphical web is begin used as more than a browser page.

A little bit of polish is needed, but basically it's the only platform available for developing real SVG applications.

I hope Opera attempts to bring some real conformance to this entirely new class of web application. If it gets too proprietary its useless.

Myren

Re:Not just a web browser

One of the bits I love most from this interview is that Opera have a build that will run from a floppy (without compression, mail, news, rss or irc compiled in). Awesome.

Opera

Now, if I could only get Opera to run on my Treo 650 without having to download the JRE ... too bad Palm didn't include Java with my phone ... one more thing I missed out on.

Re:Opera

Opera Mini is running fine on my Treo 650...I grabbed the java files from here [palm.com]

Don't believe the claims that it won't work on t650 from Verizon...it works fine.

Mobile Computing Sucks

There isn't one single program capable of running on every single cellphone today. Not one. Even if you could get past the different screen sizes, processors, and operating systems (which is almost if not entirely impossible) then you run up against the carriers who turn of Bluetooth and other services to prevent you from buying third party ringtones. I have seen the future of mobile computing, and it is not on cellphones.

Question

What exactly does Opera sell these days to make money?

Do the sales of their "mobile" browser [opera.com] really generate that much cash flow? Like... enough for them to keep pushing hard to innovate on developing the desktop browser?

this is good

Opera is doing some good things and I've missed having a good version of their browser for my handheld. Hopefully more software like this will spur someone (Sharp, maybe?) to release a great Linux-based hand held. I love my Dell Axim x51v, but I don't love Windows Mobile 2005.

Let me get this straight?

The Opera CEO has been ported to run on Devices, Linux, and Web 2.0. Must be a versatile guy!

He's just stalling

Who cares about devices, linux, and Web 2.0? I want to hear about swimming the Atlantic Ocean.

My favorite quote

I'm kind of proud of that; if Microsoft fails, you have a rescue system with Linux and Opera.

WebForms 2.0?

WebForms is a fundamentally flawed specification. The data model and the presentation are combined, making it pretty inflexible. I've been playing around with XForms for a some time now, and while it's definitely very different, it's much more powerful than WebForms can ever be.

Canvas!

I don't know why, exactly, but the Canvas tag strikes me as one of the worst web-related ideas that's lately come up. Using JavaScript for rendering? .... ugh...
I can feel the headaches coming on already.
Why does this strike me as such as pre-1995 idea?
"Hey how about a tag where arbitrary code can draw to a rectangle??"
"Hey how about a tag that makes the TEXT BLINK???"

Please, it's time for a news category upgrade!

The number of Opera stories on Slashdot has now gone way beyond the point where a dedicated Opera category/icon for Slashdot is needed. Even Mozilla and Netscape each form a subcategory on Slashdot, and they could arguably go under a single one.

The same goes for Qt, which always ends up under the KDE category, even when the story has nothing to do with KDE...

Fridge?

This is the part that caught my attention:

(stuff about Linux on a fridge at IBM)
Q23b. Really? To look up recipes?

A23b. It's kind of cool. It will actually recognize what's in there, and that kind of thing, with barcode reading and other technologies. I have to be careful not to say too much, but a lot of it is based on Linux, and they're using Opera.

I want to hear more about this. It would be so very cool to be able to connect to my fridge (via email, web, SMS, whatever) while at the grocery store, and find out what I need more of.

greedy mobile operators

in there quest for ever larger profits (as if making billions is not good enough)

the mobile phone operators (on whose networks these devices run on) are killing inovation and use of networked services

i mean what good is having a mobile with the latest opera browser if that "really cool widget i want" will cost me a fortune to get at 10 a megabyte (yes vodafone and Co. do rip us off blindly!!!
i mean come on! on a broadband connection i can get 20 gigibytes of data for same price, which is ALOT of heavy browsing)

WebForms 2.0 Web 2.0

Web Forms 2.0 [whatwg.org] <> Web 2.0 [wikipedia.org]

I hope Opera can live on

I really hope Opera survives. They are one of the very few development companies in the computer industry here in Norway (together with Troll Tech). The rest of the industry is consulting companies that support an enormous bureaucracy generated from the oil business. In Norway about 40% of the employees are working in the public sector, and we are very "red" compared to the US and UK. Personally I prefer Fire Fox as a desktop browser, but Opera has some very interesting beta versions for voice recognition, and it can also be used in commercial phone industry (I have heard there are issues with the GPL and some mobile phones?)

Opera NOT promoting software patents

"So Opera (we) clearly side with the pro-patent lobby."

Um no, if you actually bother to read it, you will see that the first round was won by those opposing software patents, and the second round was also won by those opposing software patents. Therefore, "we" are those opposting software patents.

Indeed, you can read more about Opera Software's position on software patents [ffii.org]. Opera is against software patents.

Re:It's a shame...

like some basic access methods of the DOM. like a standard AJAX client. Let's just say, you can take code that runs perfectly fine on IE and Firefox (because it has some compatability checks... does attribute setting and getting in a number of ways depending what the client supports, and event attachment any of a wide number of ways depending what objects the browser supports), and Opera will just not work. No error messages, no explanation, but parts of the code just mysteriously cease to function.