Little market research about new users?

Little market research about new users?

I was thinking it might be a good idea to share your comments about following questions. It might help others to gain more Opera users and therefore to get bigger market share.
Would you like to participate?

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?

Thanks for comments

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
7 persons

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
6 from Internet Explorer (including 1 from Crazy Browser)
1 from Mozilla Firefox

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
The mozilla one: All the features built-in and perfectly integrated, no plugins needed.
The others: stability, security and fast!


4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
2 persons

1: someone who think the only access to internet is clicking on the "blue E" (lol)
1: "many pages doesn't display correctly"

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
Shareware of course... Opera is by the way the best browser on earth.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
Let's see - Five, maybe six. I'm not sure how regularly my father uses Opera (he mostly just goes to www.veikkaus.fi and he says Opera copies text from there differently than IE does and he doesn't like that).

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
1 x Firefox, the rest, Internet Explorer.

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Internet Explorer -> making them aware of alternative browsers
Firefox -> I kept nagging and nagging and the guy didn't believe me. But finally, he tried Opera, and he liked it quite a lot. And he's today an Opera defender

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
Well, as I said, my father doesn't like the way Opera copies text from a table to the clipboard differently than Internet Explorer. I don't know any people who have used Opera regularly and then stopped using it, just people who've tried and decided to use something else.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
The banner, definitively.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
six that I know of, I tell a lot of people to use it though
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
five from IE or IE shells and one from firefox (the firefox one I think was a bigger achievement knowing what firefox users can be like)
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Wouldn't stop nagging them too, plus they were impressed with what I said about it
4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
non that I know of, though I think my father uses mainly IE, not sure why. Force of habit I guess
5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
like others have said people just seem to turn their nose up when they find out they have to have ads or pay, regardless of if it's the best or not

Interesting thread. Sticky'd.

Re: Little market research about new users?

Originally posted by Jiri

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
5
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Speed, Features, Security in that order. No one I know cares about security, I cannot seem to convince them that spyware, viruses and the like are problems, or that IE is a big cause of those problems. They were much more impressed by the speed, followed by tabbed browsing.
4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
1 - pretty much tried Opera but liked IE better, liked the various toolbars and BHO's for IE.
5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
Biggest problem is that it is not free. I know it took me 2 years of using Opera to decide to buy it, and that was only because I found out about the student discount. Many people feel that $40 is way too much for a browser when IE is "free" and Mozilla/FireFox are free in all meanings of the word. I've found that most people will not pay for software, it's too non-physical for them to see why it should cost money.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
Ads really bug people, and the most anti-Opera sentiment comes from that single ad. Not to mention that aggressive Opera sniffers usually load up a bad or incomplete page in Opera, and that pisses people off. Frankly, it doesn't matter if it's the webmaster's fault - if people need to use that site, they'll use FF or IE.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?

The ad is a real sore to deal with, I think. I know some people who complain of Opera's bloated start-up layout, lack of extensions (FF-only), unable to use certain sites with Opera, etc.

1)Quite hard to get an exact figure, I use a Opera banner for a sig on a forum and promote it every chance I get. I say 5, but might be up to 10.

2) IE.

3) The extra Security which Opera offers and the feature Intergration.

4) 1 and a half,
-My mouther could not understand how the tabs work so I gave up.
-A friend kept on haveing problems with Opera freezing when loading long pages. (But he sense returned because FF was not sufficient for his requirements)

5) It is not Free, banner.

I guess I have to answer as well... :-)
1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
4 persons.

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
1 from Firefox (got angry after another error what Firefox produced), the rest from Internet Explorer.

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Definitelly the possibility of customization, however former IE users said it could have some more features from IE checked on by default after installation. The firefox user was surprised by Opera's customization (didn't know that it is possible to customize it more than Firefox).

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
1 - this user like Firefox because it's free without banner and also has possibility to add new Firefox plugins (those extra which are not part of built-in Opera's features).

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
Too low market share. So far it is about 4%. If it would be - let's say around 10-20% - then people will be forced to test their webpages also under Opera and once they try it, they will never go back to IE (like those who had found courage to try it - all former IE users stayed with Opera).
Few users also don't like the banner in shareware version.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
~15

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
speed, functions

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
some

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
bad webmasters, the banner

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
2 and a half.

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
1 IE, 1 1/2 Firefox

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Speed, Functions (M2), support for webstandards (that's the 1/2 - a webdesigner who now checks her site in Opera, too).
My girlfriend likes M2 very much. Three weeks ago her Opera crashed (due to some buggy RSS-feed). She couldn't use Opera for two weeks (I've been away) and was relieved to be able to use M2 again, after I fixed her installation.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
None.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
The ads or - more precisely - that it costs. This Open Source - free software - thingy deludes people into thinking that everything must be for free. Or that things that cost are not worth looking at.
I know quite some people who do not use IE due to several reasons - mainly security or the lag thereof - and switched to firefox because it is free. They don't look into Opera because it is not free. It's hard to convince those... :-(

1. At least seven
2. All switched from IE except two, one from Mozilla and the other from Safari.
3. The rich feature-set, mainly. Pop-up blocking was always a big pull and one liked the integration of Web and mail.
4. Two. My father because of Opera's myriad printing bugs and the other for undisclosed reasons.
5. Though the ads are a problem for some, I think that familiarity with IE is the biggest hurdle.

1.) none

I can recall at least 11 that I've tried to get to use Opera on a regular basis. None of them complained about using the adware version, which is not what I expected.

1 of them just didn't see the need to use anything other than IE. That person was aware of the security concerns with IE, but was not concerned.

5.) These are the things that every one of the others had problems with, which made them ditch opera. (biggest problems of all in blue)

They couldn't print images in a selection. (They all had problems with printing in general too. It just doesn't print as well as Firefox or as great as IE.)

They couldn't copy rich text to paste into their email client.

WYSIWYG textareas(iframe overlays) don't work in Opera.

None of them liked the default interface settings. They didn't like having to customize the crap out of Opera to get it to look like other browsers.

None of them were interested in M2 because they couldn't compose HTML messages.

Besides those few problems above, I believe they would still be using Opera. (my wishlist posts usually reflect their problems)

However I had no problem getting all of them to use Firefox (no extensions) with Thunderbird. The only problem they have with them is the longer startup times, but that's not enough to make them go back to IE.

Opera is just missing some important features that they want.

What is so big about HTML e-mail? The only HTML e-mail I ever get is from advertisers. I'm suprised so many people use it.

I also think the rich text copy would be a good idea. Or an option to do one or the other.

My girlfriend asked how to format outgoing messages once, after months of using 7.5 (I didn't try to get her to use M2 before 7.5). She's very used to Outlook, uses it at work. I don't think it is a big deal for many people. I don't think I would want to get many mails from those for whom it is a big deal

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
Just a few, working on the rest of the world.

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE.

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
That I told them to do so. Safety and privacy.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
None.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
It's not IE, so I'd say the user interface when first using the program. And the ads.

Reminder: Please stay on-topic.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
3,to include myself as I'm a new user!

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
All from IE

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Security and Safety, i.e., malware problems, etc.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
None

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
Trying something new that may involve a bit of a learning curve.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
3 - so far...

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Because I installed it on their PCs when setting up a brand new laptop for one of them, and complete reinstallations of windows on the others. They really didn't know any better when it was there from the start.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
None (but I only know 4 users including me)

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
They already have a browser on their computer, and they aren't used to paying for software yet, so the ads are an added disincentive, but that may change. Too few users are aware of ANY security issues with using computers, least of all IEs flaws, so that isn't a concern for them.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
Four. I am working on a couple of customers though.

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE.

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
"This is the last time I come clean up your PC, from now on you can either use Opera or remove the spyware yourself"

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
None at the moment.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
In my experience too many people refuse to even try Opera (or any alternative browser for that matter), because they are afraid that it will overwrite IE or mess with its settings. Besides the default layout of 7.5x looks "broken" to users who are familiar with other browsers... the first question I get asked by new Opera users tends to be "where are the buttons ?"

Re: Little market research about new users?

Originally posted by Jiri


1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?

1) around 15
2) IE, I started a while ago when Firefox was not so spread.
3) Security, features, speed, all the qualities of Opera
4) One or 2, they changed computers and did not bother to reinstall
5) Assumed complexity. Maybe too much things to learn to use it at its maximum.

Originally posted by MTKnight
1. At least seven
2. All switched from IE except two, one from Mozilla and the other from Safari.
3. The rich feature-set, mainly. Pop-up blocking was always a big pull and one liked the integration of Web and mail.
4. Two. My father because of Opera's myriad printing bugs and the other for undisclosed reasons.
5. Though the ads are a problem for some, I think that familiarity with IE is the biggest hurdle.

RE (5) Familiararity with IE for sure is the first reason, second the learning curve involved in working out how to tweak it to look or act like other browsers, based again on familiarity.
I don't think the Ads are a problem for people looking to change, but by the looks of this thread - it's a bit of an annoyance for longer term users who don't want to pay.

...then again I've never paid. My biggest concern is the amount of times I change PC's. I've truly lost count since I first started using Opera in mid 2001, after discovering the eternally interesting www.searchlores.org !

Thanks.

Re: Little market research about new users?

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
so far 3
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE 5 and 6
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
IE didn't work at all
4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
2 as it has several Javascript problems and table properties problems
5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
The first layout after install - it is far too different. May be solution would be to make first startup page something where they can make onclick changes to UI

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
A: 3 maybe 4
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
A: IE (one used Avant and still does occasionally for 'broken' sites)
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
A: Security, speed, customisability (sp?)
4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
A: None that I know of.
5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
A: Bad / blocked sites (very few nowadays), cost / banner ads, learning curve, default UI too dissimilar to IE.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
A: 4, maybe over 1,800 if my school want to.

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
A: Internet Explorer.

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
A: Security, mouse gestures and speed.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
A: None

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
A: Opera has more settings which are new (for them), and the pop-up-blocker should be enabled be default (new users doesn't discover all the settings, so they may miss the all the great possibilities they have).

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
2 for now, but a lot more pretty soon

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
I forced them (I switched from Windows to FreeBSD, and I installed Opera only)

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
None, but sometimes they say some DHTML menus are not accessibles, and they have to use another computer to view some web sites.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
Lack of marketing and hype. Seriously it's the best browser. No one knows about Opera among Joe users. Gotta do something.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?

6

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?

All IE

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?

The speed and the tabbed windows. Also the Zoom. The ad blocking wasn't such a big deal.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?

2. Both to Firefox, and both because of Gmail.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?

The default configuration is the biggest problem. It looks cluttered - the sidebar, the toolbar searches, the ad banners - all the time you gain by not having to install extensions, you lose by having to clear away the crap.

1) At least 20.

2) Internet Explorer and Firefox

3) Speed, security (no spyware etc), nicer (skin), mouse gestures

4) 1.. due problems with Windows Media-plugins and some sites not working

5) Some sites doesn't work properly (I know this isnt Opera's fault, but users want webpages to function, like they "did" in IE).

Its alredy mentioned, but, Opera is the best browser, and users don't even know it exist.

Let see:

1)

• My entire office, that's about 9 people. I set up every new hire with Opera and remove all shortcuts to IE from view. We just have a new partner who came in with his laptop and I still have to start to work on him.
  
• My wife.
  
• My mother (not sure my father switched or not).
  
• Some friends (web designers and developers): that would be 3 persons, but not 100%.
  
• The sales manager of my ISP: I asked for a quote for a web site and told him it _must_ work in Opera. He downloaded it, tryed it and apparently hasn't looked back yet. I just told him about mouse gesture: I think he's trapped
  That's a total of about 13 people so far. There might be a bit more.

2) I think they all switched from IE

3) My convincing arguments: security, usability, standard compliance, fun... and then my position as a sysadmin who can decide what software are going to be used!

4) None has "returned" to the dark side, but some have not switched 100%. A friend tryed, but prefered to stay with IE as it was easier for him to get spyware on his machine I just don't understand some people.

5) I think the biggest drag is the force of habit. People are so used to, say, IE which basically does what they need, that they do not necessarily see the point of changing browser. For some of my colleagues, I had to remove the IE shortcut and change the Opera icon to a blue "e" otherwise, althought they did not mind using Opera, they would just open IE for they surfing, just by habit.
Sites blocking Opera are also a problem. It is sometimes difficult to explain a user how to get around the blocks. A lot of people just don't know their way around on a computer and it has to work out of the box for them.

Request: could we set the UserID on a per bookmark setting?
Suggestion: at 1st run, an option to choose the skin and layout: IE and Firefox themes could be included and the user could choose the one he prefers (or "she", but I prefer to apply the Fench grammar rule, it's simpler )

Well that's it for now!

In addition to my comment on #5..

I noticed a lot of "default interface" and "default setting" issues. These are a major concern and why I have to always send directions and preconfigured toolbar settings to newbies that are freaked out by the default interface and how different it is from IE and just do not know what to do. Those directions have prevented quite a few people from turning their heads and not giving opera a chance. (although, as said before, they still didn't stick with it because of some missing, important features).

I don't have to send directions for Firefox.

Even though Opera now has the "use as browser only" and "turn off panels etc." during setup, it's not enough.

As for ads, I think they are a problem because you can only keep the banner in skinny mode if the main bar is turned off. Once you turn it on, boom it just looks like crap and messes up the toolbar height.

I think allowing it to stay skinny if the main bar was turned on would make a lot of people happy. The ad should be in its own separate bar (the ad bar), that can only be disabled if Opera is registered.

Originally posted by jp10558
What is so big about HTML e-mail? The only HTML e-mail I ever get is from advertisers. I'm suprised so many people use it.

I also think the rich text copy would be a good idea. Or an option to do one or the other.

It's the reason I don't use M2 for work. I need this functionality.

-- WillYum

Ithink the idea with the main toolbar and the ad was to save screen real estate. I'm not too sure how it looks though as I am not using the main bar.

The main bar is useful when you want the address bar to show at all times like other browsers.

With all the people who say the problem is that Opera is to unfamiliar compared with IE, how about using the 1 click set-up option to give it a appearance more similar to IE.

The link is on the Opera startup page so it would be difficult to make it any more obvious without haveing it in the "Set-up Wizard".

[url]http://www.opera.com/startup/customize/

Yes, that is true, but you'll still have the main bar = on = large ad problem, which makes it less like IE because the toolbars get messed up. (That's only an observation from at least 15 people though). Also, when testing with the adware version, when you turn on the main bar and it makes the, ad big, it always switches to graphical ads. It doesn't stay with the text/google ads.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
3 or 4, but got my university to install Opera on every computer (at least on all the Linux PCs)

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
I convinced them! "I won't fix your PC when you got Viruses by using IE" helps.. Same for mail <--> Outlook. So security is one thing, but a friend of mine liked the tabbed browsing.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
None, but regular fallback to IE or firefox, when pages are not displayed correctley (often onlinebanking sites)

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
The Ad and the complexity.. i loved Opera when i had a bookmark panel and transfer window.. now i have nearly have of the display covered by a sidepanel with a lot of thing i will never use and which costs me time to clean up after every installation.
Try to explain a 50 year old woman like my mother what nice features Opera has.. the things important are: Where do i have to enter the url? and where is the back button?
She seemed not to be able to control her hands enough for the mouse gestures (or forgets it to fast) so i feel like i"m the only one of the people i know that uses Opera because of the mouse gestures!

1) Three People, so far.
2) IE
3) pretty much the same as CoreRouter, refused to fix any IE bugs, plus me personally got hooked on the gestures
4) Nobody's stopped using it yet. IE, on the other hand...
5) The complexity and the huge toolbar fresh from download.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
3

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
I told them I wouldn't fix their pc's as long as they used IE. (removed 7! trojans last time)
Tabbed browsing is also a major plus.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
None. But some need to go to IE now and then (eg for www.woningnet.nl)

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
Obscurity of the browser.
Users don't seem to notice IE is years behind and don't miss all the features they don't know of.
Last: opera 7.5x hideous startup layout.

Heine

Re: Little market research about new users?

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?

At least 5. But as I used to be a download´s site content manager, surely a lot more. ;c)

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
Usually IE.

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Mouse gestures and the zoom.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
I don´t know any.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
They don´t know Opera very well, people usually don´t like to change.

Re: Little market research about new users?

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
I have no exact figure. I regularly promote Opera at two other forums, which I believe has led to a fair number of people at least trying out Opera, a portion of which have stayed with the browser. I would have to guess between 7-12 people in total, including one or two real life friends.

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
Most from MSIE, although one real life friend switched from Mozilla to Opera, and one or two other persons may have switched from Firefox.

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
My endless ranting about it, presumably. I would say it's speed and customizeability have been a deciding factor in convincing them to stay.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
I do not personally know of any longtime Opera users that have given up on it. There have been people on online forums who have tried out Opera and decided that they did not like it enough to stick with it.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
The fact that Opera has a price tag or ad banners. Whether this is not something that can just be removed, it is a fairly big barrier for people to get across, especially when a free browser with many similar features, in the form of Firefox, is available as well.
A second point would for me be the fact that it's interface is much more complex than IE's or Firefox's. A good portion of people who turned away from Opera did so at first sight because it looked complicated, as they claim they just want a browser to view pages, and nothing else. Fortunately Opera is addressing this issue very well with 7.60p2.

Re: Little market research about new users?

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?

Umm.. about 15-20, I think..

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?

IE

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?

Ad-programs, popups and dialers coming through IE.

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?

One. And he is a moron anyway

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?

They simply don't know about Opera.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
1 or 2
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE and firefox
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Faster and safer than IE
4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
1 of them, accessibility, too complicated, cookie handling
5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
Its not ad-free, its quite complicated in the beginning, cookie-handling could be better, not all pages are displayed properly or work at all, accessing bookmarks is not as easy as in the IE

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
3

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
Internet Explorer = 2, Firefox = 1

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Opera's skins (odyssey), Tabbed browser, Faster

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
2 friends, to firefox, they wanted the compatibility and didn't like the
page load errors, told them about the preview versions, they said that they
can't be bothered to switch back, they said its just easier to stay

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
There should be a simple configureable wizard that goes through all the
otions
and configures them

1) >10

2) from both IE (majority) and FF

3) first of all: securitity (no ActiveX's, no xpi's) and speed (!!!!), second: securitity and speed
third: mouse gestures (!!), RSS, Wand, customazion & flexibility,
fourth: some are liking M2 (though I personally don't use it)

4) don't know;
but some complain about compatibility issues, some are asking why is id=MSIE by default

5) most: they simply don't know absolutely(!) nothing about Opera,
others: asking why to pay if there is FF (and this is leading to endless discussions)
they heard to many rumors & gossip according compatibility issuses

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
Never, But I would try to ask others to use Opera, Because there are little people knowing Opera in China. It is really a good explorer!
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE, Mozilla Firefox, and MYIE, Maxthon, Greenbrower.
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Very fresh to the Opera.
4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
I used Opera for a little time a few weeks later. Because the previous version has many conflicts with Chinese. Now the new version is a bit better.
5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
Very little announcement! So few people know Opera.
You can see that the Firefox has announced many features, including the safety, and the stabblity...

My comments

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
About 6 users

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
Internet Explorer

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Someone told me Opera is So fast, everybody appreciates DOWNLOAD option. While iam selecting my local directory opera downloads half of the files... cool..

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
No.. No one

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?
flash transperancy, since iam working with an online media ad company, its so useful.
Now iam depending Mozila to test transperant flash files.


thanks

yo

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?

Around 15 so far.

2) From which browser they switched to Opera?

Most from Mozilla or Konqueror - I work for a MandrakeLinux-based community IT/arts project.

3 from Internet Explorer.

3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?

Linux users (migrating from Mozilla): faster, more responsive and with more features and convenience. n.b. our work PCs are recycled and relatively low spec (300Mhz, 128Mb), and Mozilla runs rather slowly, where Opera whizzes along nicely.

Several Moz-using web developers have been well impressed with the toggle graphics and style-sheets functions, and I sold one almost entirely on the strength of non-troppo's Jekyll and Hyde setup!

Linux users (migrating from Konqueror): similar reasons as for Mozilla, though Konqueror is faster than Moz on those systems. But one Konqueror user told me that she thought Opera's interface is less cluttered (and I bet you don't hear that from users of many other browsers!).

Windows/IE users: These three were all friends and family who have been plagued by viruses and spyware, and whose computers I've fixed (a thankless task!). So security was the main reason there. But they've all found the interface and extra features very nice by comparison. All three have understood that when (a very few) webpages don't work in Opera, it's the webmaster's fault and have vented their spleen appropriately Two of them have even paid for Opera. I wonder if I should get a commission

Not many of all these converts (Linux or Win) seem to use M2. One ex-IE person is (she was using PocoMail before). And one ex-Moz person is thinking about it (I think he currently uses Evolution).

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?

As I work within an open-source environment, there are naturally a few who are not happy with anything that's not open-source. The advertising really seems to turn off a proportion of these. But I think they're just being overly fundamentalist about the free-software thing I'll keep working on 'em

And I can't really say they've stopped using Opera, because they've not really even tried starting.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera

I've mentioned the advertising/shareware thing. But I'm not seriously expecting OS to change it's entire business model which has worked so far and seems likely to keep doing so. Could the ads be made any smaller? I wonder if they'd be less of a problem if the ad bar was at the bottom of the interface, or its position was configurable? But I'm just guessing.

If Opera could be included with major Linux distributions, it would get more converts I think. But perhaps there are licensing implications there.

A few people I've introduced to Opera have been a bit scared by the more-complicated-than-IE/firefox interface. But they've all stuck with it and learned to like it.

But when all's said and done, I've not encountered any show-stopping problems which prevent uptake. Most of the people who have let me introduce them have carried on using Opera. The biggest problem could be marketing. If more people knew about it, I'm sure more people would use it.

Re: Little market research about new users?

Originally posted by Jiri
I was thinking it might be a good idea to share your comments about following questions. It might help others to gain more Opera users and therefore to get bigger market share.
Would you like to participate?

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera?

Thanks for comments

1, 2 so far more on the way.
2, IE of course
3, me, and the constant Trojans and viruses they kept getting.
4, none
5, people hate change, once they jump the first hurdle they love it, my neighbour is completely non savvy with pc's, kept getting trojans and viruses through web sites, put opera on her pc last week, showed her a few basics and she loves it.

1) How many users did you convince to start using Opera regularly?
3
2) From which browser they switched to Opera?
IE
3) What convinced them the most to start using Opera?
Security

4) How many people do you know who have stopped using Opera and why?
none but I had to taylor Opera for one person because it looked to intimidating.
so I made it look somthing like IE.

5) What is the biggest problem, by your opinion, which prevents more users start using Opera? They feel comfortable with IEs simple interface. I'm making a video tutor right now for my customer to show the security aspect. I go to a site with IE that send a lot of adware, then I run Ad-ware personal to show the crud that IE missed, next I go to the same site with Opera and they can see the cookie popup warnings and then run adware agin to find no errors. This convinced one customer.

I've only found Opera myself one month ago but I've been looking for a alternative for years.

Originally posted by Michael83815
I've only found Opera myself one month ago but I've been looking for a alternative for years.

What made you choose Opera in particular as an alternative - especially with the fierce competition from Firefox at the moment?

Originally posted by sleeper_service
What made you choose Opera in particular as an alternative - especially with the fierce competition from Firefox at the moment?

For me personally it's the security features, and ability to change the look and functions for what I'm doing at the time. Such as Website promotion, Programming C++,
Medical studies, I've created skins and menus for each of these and can change between them very easily.