My Opera
Thank you and goodbye!
By Trond. Friday, September 15, 2006 1:14:47 PM
Oh boy! It's been over 7 years.. and it's time for me to move on, so today is my last day here at Opera.
It's been a long ride and it has mostly been great fun, but as with so many other things in life, it has to end at some point, and I just wanted to say thank you and goodbye to our users before I leave, and spend a moment looking back.
When I started back in june 1999 I was supposed to port Opera to AmigaOS, but instead I ended up leading the design and UI development
of the Windows version, and later the Desktop version after we completed the platform independent UI kit for Opera 7. Looking back, I'm reminded about the fact that things often take a lot longer time than planned.
To show what I mean, here's a comparison between Opera from 2005 and a "this is how I want my Opera" mock-up that I made back in year 2000.
I'm usually a less-is-more kind of guy, and really wanted this kind of simple design for Opera back then, but for those that remember the old Opera versions, you know there were a lot of things that needed to change before getting there. Why did it take so long? Well, that's often the cost of changing an existing product instead of making a brand new one..
With Opera 9, things are pretty decent, but there's still a ton of things I would have wanted to change,simplify and extend, but it's time for me to move on and let others take it further.
I'm off to make music while I think about what to do next..
So thank you and goodbye!
Signing off,
Trond Werner Hansen.
It's been a long ride and it has mostly been great fun, but as with so many other things in life, it has to end at some point, and I just wanted to say thank you and goodbye to our users before I leave, and spend a moment looking back.
When I started back in june 1999 I was supposed to port Opera to AmigaOS, but instead I ended up leading the design and UI development
of the Windows version, and later the Desktop version after we completed the platform independent UI kit for Opera 7. Looking back, I'm reminded about the fact that things often take a lot longer time than planned.
To show what I mean, here's a comparison between Opera from 2005 and a "this is how I want my Opera" mock-up that I made back in year 2000.
I'm usually a less-is-more kind of guy, and really wanted this kind of simple design for Opera back then, but for those that remember the old Opera versions, you know there were a lot of things that needed to change before getting there. Why did it take so long? Well, that's often the cost of changing an existing product instead of making a brand new one..
- Legacy. If you try to change too much at one time, current users will protest.
- Compatibility. Even if you change the default, you might need to support changing back to the old way.
- Technology. I had to develop the platform independent UI kit first. (We didn't dare to use HTML for UI at that point because of performance and platform compatibility issues)
- Focus. Before Opera became ad-free, the focus was more on feature-richness to make a certain niche market willing to pay for it.
With Opera 9, things are pretty decent, but there's still a ton of things I would have wanted to change,simplify and extend, but it's time for me to move on and let others take it further.
I'm off to make music while I think about what to do next..
So thank you and goodbye!
Signing off,
Trond Werner Hansen.
You must be 
1 2 3 Next »
Inventrex # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:18:12 PM
Remco Lantingremcolanting # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:18:58 PM
(Still expecting one though
RamūnasRamunas # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:20:00 PM
Sunshinecloudssunshine # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:20:34 PM
FedericoRyomaNagare # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:23:18 PM
So although we haven't met, you have touched my life somehow, even if its at something as trivial as teh web browsing experience.
Hope you move to bigger better things.
And why not? I hope you'll legacy will carry on Opera.
It somehow saddens me , because some of the softwrae i've liked best have died when one of the dev team left.
I hope this donesn't come to happen With Opera, i'll be praying hard.
Godspeed. Trond
Mohammed S Muchhalababumuchhala # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:24:59 PM
Wish you a Good Luck for the future.
Trond # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:29:02 PM
Btw, for those that feel like contacting me, my contact info is on my profile about page.
Take care!
humerus # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:30:44 PM
All the best for your next venture!
Markmarkg85 # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:32:17 PM
oh well.. i hope we hear lots of good music from you in the future.. maybe a opere theme song for opera 10
Bya and good luck
BigBerny # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:33:40 PM
Big_Berny (Opera user since 3.62)
velmu # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:38:39 PM
LeonDr.LEON # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:41:31 PM
alsiladka # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:44:26 PM
We will miss you a lot .
Do be involved in opera as a friend and guest developer.
Your tips will always be valuable for us all
MathiasMathchoustone # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:46:52 PM
Good luck
JensusUT # Friday, September 15, 2006 1:58:24 PM
Wish you all the best of luck for future!
Always sad to loose a member of Opera ASA...
Regards,
Jensus
rxbbx # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:08:03 PM
Miketaussick # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:10:03 PM
Alexeylexa77 # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:10:41 PM
You are going to write music...
So you DID OPERA, but in future YOU WILL WRITE OPERA!
Moreover, your ideas will be in all new builds, so your heart and your soul will be with us FOREVER!
And maybe you`ll take a gun and say, like Arnold: I`ll be back!
Good luck and happiness!
present daylusciousapparatus # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:12:01 PM
fantast_xuefantastxue # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:12:11 PM
g4qb # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:17:38 PM
AND
may the force be with you
BTW there is a typo in your message
momemnt = moment
Doliprane'Doliprane # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:24:24 PM
ok bye......
Krishnankrishnan # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:25:54 PM
Take Care
Nirodha (Bill Gray)Nirodha # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:32:36 PM
Happiness and Ease to you always,
Bill
hi555 # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:33:34 PM
Bye,
Wish you all the best for the future.
This is quite sad for me. Everyone at opera is doing a very good job. Right from the bottom to the top. Everyone is a family, and its the collective efforts of all of you guys that has made opera.
One member of the opera team leaving is sad.
Anyway Take Care and please do not work for Microsoft or Firefox.
Kyle Bakerkyleabaker # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:36:30 PM
<insert here>g4gb's message</insert> haha
糊记musiccow # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:37:38 PM
Lito # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:43:43 PM
Take care.
Andresandresruiz # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:45:45 PM
Thank you.
God save the Queen !!!!!!
Luigihelas # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:47:51 PM
Gölök Zoltán Leenderdt Franco BudayOrff # Friday, September 15, 2006 2:50:19 PM
GZLFB
Cheers.
Stevie1 # Friday, September 15, 2006 3:12:07 PM
thats very sad indeed. i first learnt about you on that big aniversary opera chat. but as im a musician too i can understand your desicion. give us a sign of live from time to time
stevie
csn2 # Friday, September 15, 2006 3:19:55 PM
FataL # Friday, September 15, 2006 3:23:10 PM
BTW, your mockup of Opera looks like IE from the first sight.
Kostia RomanovKildor # Friday, September 15, 2006 3:26:15 PM
porneL # Friday, September 15, 2006 3:28:18 PM
Why it didn't happen?
FataL # Friday, September 15, 2006 3:33:26 PM
Kostia RomanovKildor # Friday, September 15, 2006 3:56:36 PM
http://web.opera.com/news.html — here is «news» from 1999, look to «project Magic»
AndrewAndrewNi # Friday, September 15, 2006 3:58:04 PM
All the best for the future.
Twilo # Friday, September 15, 2006 4:03:06 PM
bye :-(
PaiTrakt # Friday, September 15, 2006 4:04:55 PM
Filip MileretRedBaron # Friday, September 15, 2006 4:19:19 PM
sebt # Friday, September 15, 2006 4:37:12 PM
If I may be so bold, what are you moving into next?
Kinds, Seb
minisu # Friday, September 15, 2006 4:41:31 PM
lakeview # Friday, September 15, 2006 4:47:06 PM
Wherever you go, please remember that you are one of those guys who have been bringing joy to millions of people , from different continent, from different country. Its great, isn't? Not everyone can do this.
FataL # Friday, September 15, 2006 4:52:02 PM
dieburnbot # Friday, September 15, 2006 4:53:54 PM
babox # Friday, September 15, 2006 5:10:53 PM
impotent # Friday, September 15, 2006 5:18:01 PM
Yagotta B. Kiddingyagotta # Friday, September 15, 2006 5:33:55 PM
glad you contributed so much to the sleek and smooth Opera GUI. There is no other in the world.
I wished I could write the customized menus more easily, though. There is an outstanding GUI hack over here, put forward by the literarymoose (Opera community name) who re-christianized himself to lofotenmoose. Say moose, go to the "Customize Opera" department, or google the chap - it's worthwhile. Moose designs in many a respect the very same way you seem to savour, Trond.
Hope you will put forward your a customized GUI for Opera 9 or 10, now that all restraints on you doing so ceased to exist. Good luck - and don't forget your creation!
Yours,
YBK