Increased focus on Opera extensions and ending support for Unite applications and Widgets
By Arnstein Teigenespirobind. Tuesday, April 24, 2012 3:01:03 PM
Over the last six years we have learned a lot from our work on Opera Widgets and Opera Unite, and when we later built the extension platform for Opera 11 we benefited significantly from this experience. Our extension technology has been a great success, with millions of monthly downloads, and so far completely dwarfing the other platforms. Recently, Opera also shipped a labs version with extension support in Opera Mobile, investigating a fully cross-platform extension environment.
Moving forward we want to focus on one high quality Add-on platform across our products, rather than spending resources on maintaining legacy systems. The know how and and technologies from Unite and Widgets are already being reused in other Opera products. An example is the recently announced UPnP support in Opera Dragonfly.
To provide your feedback about use cases for Opera Unite or Opera Widgets you want to transfer other Opera products, please visit to our forum.
If you are a Widget developer you might be interested in how to convert Widgets to extensions.







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jhilla # Saturday, May 19, 2012 6:01:38 PM
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/openoperaunited/
http://my.opera.com/community/forums/topic.dml?id=1398742#poll
Rafael Luikrafaelluik # Saturday, May 19, 2012 8:01:21 PM
Originally posted by regrabables:
This makes me want to use Opera even more to support it, both showing websites Opera has users so they have to fix their sh*ts out, and to give Opera the money they need to pay developers to fix their own little faults in implementing the web standards.There are still tons of Opera-only features, behaviors, and the company ethics (and the intolerable faults of the other browser vendors). All a matter of logic and personal use of course. I'm not wanting to show off, but I wrote in my little blog some reasons why I use Opera comparing it directly to other browsers and I'd like to recommend you to read.
Gustavo Ariel Molinaregrabables # Saturday, May 19, 2012 9:20:45 PM
Originally posted by rafaelluik:
I have a different view for me Opera is a tool, and I can not wait to evolve to keep up on the circumstances.
The large number of functions that will remove, are precisely why I chose to use Opera, making me tolerate the incompatibility is web.
By removing all these functions, I have no reason to continue using Opera, as it will be virtually indistinguishable from any other browser, provided of course speaking in the practical sense.
Mine is not a philosophical view, but a merely practical. For me the tool has to do the job, there ends the matter.
jhilla # Monday, May 21, 2012 3:06:52 PM
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/openoperaunited/
coyotemon # Monday, May 21, 2012 5:01:52 PM
rodolfoop # Monday, May 21, 2012 6:12:30 PM
Technically it's very advanced and something I don't know in other browsers. If it was not very used, blame other departments, but an award should be done to the people who worked on it, including people who don't belong to Opera.
jhilla # Tuesday, May 22, 2012 2:23:46 AM
billy bobbillybob4 # Tuesday, May 22, 2012 5:08:54 AM
Hank Lenzihankimproved # Thursday, May 24, 2012 6:42:01 AM
Apple already has Evernote on their desktop. Google is embracing & extending, now offering cheap file hosting (caveat: must use their sucky broswer).
Nothing works!
Unite was my only hope!
Now, what will opera do? Emulate Google? You loose.
Emulate Apple? Loose.
What did Opera offer that was original? Stuff like Unite.
What's the problem with Unite? Bad marketing.
Look, Google Docs kind of sucks (Google is ruthless about upgrade - in a year from now, your Android phone will leave you dead in the water - and they aren't all that good either - Docs won't even open and RTF formatted doc, unless you convert it).
Seriously, you want to play the Let's-all-be-move-to-the-cloud-game you can, but you have to offer MORE (i.e., be ORIGINAL - WHICH YOU WERE! And I say that as someone who has used Opera since, what, 98? On every platform you wrote it for - Apple, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD - all those have Opera browsers).
You really disappoint me, and you're shooting yourself in the foot...
Hank Lenzihankimproved # Thursday, May 24, 2012 6:50:30 AM
We all have different files across computers. Opera Unite was supposed to be one way of sharing those files.
Now, we will be forced to use something like Google's cloud storage. Stuff won't be on our computers, but on the cloud. The problem is, for the ammount of files people have, they have to:
1) spend s**tloads of cash (all those Gigabytes)
2) spend YEARS uploading their stuff
3) give up using the tools they like, to use tools that work with the cloud platform (Google whatever)
So congrats, Opera, you now have showed you are willing to fight this battle with your eyes closed, because INSTEAD OF CONVINCING PEOPLE ABOUT HOW THE CLOUD IS JUST BUST, you choose to drop an advanced product. Kudos to the manager type/jerk who will drive your long term strategy to the ground (it might be a long dive, but you have just given up on your assets, and the Google or the Apple cloud will devour you).
MossMan # Thursday, May 24, 2012 9:34:14 AM
Unite was an easy way to safely serve files and other info from your own device to the web or your friends. It was "unique" in the fact that it provided a range of advanced services with very little set-up required, services which would otherwise require installation of a complex set of applications (FTP server, web-server, etc.). In contrast, installing a torrent or IRC program is quite easy for the average user.
Unite-style services *can* be installed but it was so much easier when it was already built in to Opera... *that* was what made it special!
HyaeneLeipzigTinoSLE # Thursday, May 24, 2012 6:46:44 PM
jhilla # Thursday, May 24, 2012 8:35:58 PM
http://my.opera.com/community/forums/topic.dml?id=1398742#poll
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/openoperaunited/
Infe3no # Sunday, May 27, 2012 4:18:41 AM
Xhrisn1nj4Lo # Sunday, May 27, 2012 6:53:33 AM
Kevin Vaillantkvaillant # Monday, May 28, 2012 5:34:08 AM
jhilla # Monday, May 28, 2012 6:05:34 AM
Olivierolivir # Monday, May 28, 2012 9:30:37 AM
juan gilaljund # Monday, May 28, 2012 6:00:03 PM
Originally posted by kvaillant:
yes i
opera has been a great browser and stands for independece, whatever yo develop or even if you take the unite away (that i dont want to) ill still be here using it
if opera thinks that being owned by facebook is a good offer.. i feel that such a things betrays the independence and privacy that opera works for and represents
ihope you guys know what you doing with those changes!
Mark Wieringmarkwiering # Monday, May 28, 2012 7:19:23 PM
chapafogu1nho # Tuesday, May 29, 2012 11:19:24 PM
zichi Lorentzzichi # Wednesday, May 30, 2012 2:56:20 PM
Pamalosebi # Wednesday, May 30, 2012 4:22:50 PM
Does this mean that it is not removed?
jhilla # Wednesday, May 30, 2012 6:32:15 PM
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/openoperaunited/
jhilla # Wednesday, May 30, 2012 7:16:56 PM
Originally posted by Pamalosebi:
back how i have the update but no unite icon plus going to the unite page and clicking installer it launches 11.00 not 12.Exvander # Wednesday, May 30, 2012 10:23:03 PM
I use opera since his 9.45 or 9.54's version and, believe me or not, but it changed my experience of web browsing.
BTW @people-that-tought that opera was on its way to be like "cloud based" browsers, i'll answer that opera unite IS the cloud, not as the fake things like opera link, the apple thingy, or google's cloud one... wich are just synchronizations. I'll repeat myself but UNITE is the cloud as it permits to share server based datas and applications with the exertnal. I mean its pretty much data as a service/application as a service.
Well, it was just for information.
The main problem with Opera Unite is that the consumers arent ready for this kind of innovation, they dont even know the existence of Opera, just seeing the percentage of market share...
Well, stopping the developpment for opera unite... and especially to concentrate on (crappy, yes, we must admit it, best extensions were whochan's ones and now they turn into crapness (btw, if someone has old .oex of his/her exts i'll be happy if he can send me download links)) extensions is something i'll never understand.
And, finally, the worst part comes for the grand final of my complain: non happy to stop the devellopping of unite they remove it from the availables services in the suite, coz yes, opera is a suite and unite was the most "impressive" part of it.
OK, as a conclusion, i'm gonna say that Opera software that made so much for the web standards is now making a mistake that will badly affect the web developing , because, if no one is as smart as opera developers to innovate and force others platforms to create facsimile applications (i remember when some browsers copied opera link, and how firefox's logo has now the same behavior of opera's one), what i call web browsing experience will turn into something pretty boring with low enjoyment, as Unite can even be used by professionals witch are not looking for fun but for efficientness (love this word, even if it dont exists).
Regarding on what i said, i'm seeing that opera is becoming as poor in terms of services as his competitor. Sad, but true.
For the hope of all the users of Opera, and all the persons that believe in the cool possibles ways of enjoying their daily internet time, i gently demand to the developer team to keep unite alive, because it worth the fight.
PS: sorry for the poor english, I hope you still understood me and i ask you to think about what i, and everyone of us said.
Kindly, da kitteh
jhilla # Thursday, May 31, 2012 4:16:37 AM
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/openoperaunited/
Seth Fultonsethfulton # Friday, June 1, 2012 2:31:08 AM
Now they are ditching the product, major bummer. I understand their reasons, however the recent rumor of a Facebook takeover just makes me even more suspicious of the actual reasons.
My only problem with Opera Unite is that you had to keep the browser running all the time. I think it would have made more sense to run as a service.
MossMan # Friday, June 1, 2012 6:21:52 AM
Originally posted by sethfulton:
I think it should have run in the browser by default (for most users, this is enough) with the option to launch as an independent service instead. I also think this is how widgets should have been - instead of cluttering up my system, they could have all sat "inside Opera" unless I chose to migrate them to become separate applications...
Danilo Giordanodvgmint # Friday, June 1, 2012 9:10:26 PM
Kevin Vaillantkvaillant # Saturday, June 2, 2012 11:14:50 PM
If Facebook buys Opera, will you change your choice of browsers?
http://my.opera.com/kvaillant/blog/poll.dml?id=325562
Rafael Luikrafaelluik # Sunday, June 3, 2012 4:09:02 AM
Originally posted by kvaillant:
No option of "I won't switch to another browser" in the pool. faildougebfresh # Sunday, June 3, 2012 1:31:09 PM
toytherock # Sunday, June 3, 2012 3:59:05 PM
Rafael Luikrafaelluik # Sunday, June 3, 2012 3:59:54 PM
James132 # Monday, June 4, 2012 4:41:27 AM
Unite is one of the key features that makes Opera stand apart and above the crowd.
Tempbin, File Inbox, Webcam, Planet Rss, Fridge!
to name a few, oh what the hell: File Sharing, Photo Sharing.
All very useful, and used frequently. While there are a few others that I really would have liked to see finished. Letters and Gridnite for instance. There are more services also that I use. And it isn't that they are Irreplaceable it is the concept of having them available and local. Instillation, and activation makes it so simple.
Taking it out of future versions will prevent me from upgrading the browser until the proxy servers are taken off line and Unite dies completely.
But if it must go, I hope that some of the resources are put into Link, and Voice. Voice my main complaint is the change in the speech engine that happened between versions 9 and 10+
The voice was almost the best I had heard, very nice to have large documents read to me while working on a different program. I can not stand to listen to the new voice. It grates me to the core. I don't even try it any more, and that makes me sad.
Link, as many people have asked, at the very least needs an option to declare which links are uploaded as to keep some private. Not everything from home needs to be downloaded to my work computer.
the Kaiunit057 # Monday, June 4, 2012 7:44:09 AM
Tim6575ttim6575 # Tuesday, June 5, 2012 8:47:38 PM
danny-watts # Wednesday, June 6, 2012 8:08:38 AM
Originally posted by jhilla:
Donetoytherock # Thursday, June 7, 2012 3:47:39 PM
juan gilaljund # Friday, June 8, 2012 1:01:13 AM
Originally posted by toytherock:
nice to see someone doing some "advertising"
will only use if opera unite goes away (i keep the hope that there will be an extension similar to it)
juan gilaljund # Friday, June 8, 2012 1:04:15 AM
Originally posted by kvaillant:
60% goes to another browser 40% stays i dont know i think i should leave since facebook and privacy dont mix... but go where? chrome invades my privacy, safari is hipster, and firefox...Supuhstar # Friday, June 8, 2012 8:49:54 AM
jhilla # Monday, June 11, 2012 12:36:02 PM
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/openoperaunited/
ipwner1 # Tuesday, June 12, 2012 10:36:18 AM
Is there going to be any solution for that without unite?
Cool Smoothiecoolsmoothie # Tuesday, June 12, 2012 6:49:35 PM
FransFrenzie # Wednesday, June 13, 2012 9:03:26 AM
Gustavo Ariel Molinaregrabables # Wednesday, June 13, 2012 11:54:36 PM
Originally posted by Frenzie:
And where do we draw the UNITE button? If it is not nowhere in version 12. In the panel "look" - "status" button no longer exists.
jhilla # Thursday, June 14, 2012 4:43:34 AM
marwerno # Thursday, June 14, 2012 7:23:00 AM
It really had its uses (and I am saying this even so I have my own web space with 4GB!)
I wouldn't be surprised to see it soon in other Browsers and everyone thinking: WOW, what a great feature (like other features Opera introduced), not knowing it was a first in Opera.
Any chance to keep it alive at least as an optional plug-in/ add-on?