Google Service Drops Support for Opera • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#11

Post by manojlds » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:13 PM UTC

mtgx wrote: post #9

azakai wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even though Google is a major corporation, I doubt they can afford to spend the time fixing issues in a browser that gets lower single digit uses. You're joking, I hope? Of course Google has the resources. It's one of the biggest companies in tech. Not only does Google have the money to do it, but it really looks bad by not supporting Opera and telling people to use Chrome. Just to prevent that bad publicity it wou…

Didn't Google give up on IE6 for some of their services when it had less than 20% market share? Opera has 1-2% market share. Granted, it should be a lot easier to tweak their code for Opera, but the difference in market share is pretty big, too.

Even MS wanted IE6 dead. In this case, it is all about Google trying to force a very good browser that has brought in great ideas and features, in addition to the performance and standards compliance, out of the market.

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#12

Post by hugh4life » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:14 PM UTC

"The reason I felt it important to pass on this news to non-Opera users is that I’m wondering if Google are going to stop at Opera? I get the sense that this could be the thin end of a wedge, and that Opera may not be the only browser which ends up getting the cold shoulder."

I doubt Google will give a cold shoulder to browsers with actual market share.

I'm glad Opera exists to keep a check on the other browser makers... I'm also glad Opera only has 1% market share so I can ignore it when I make own websites.

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#13

Post by ta12121 » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:14 PM UTC

Xcelerate wrote: post #5

This whole "supporting browsers" thing should be gone, and very soon. There are specifications that browser makers should follow, and if they are all supporting those specifications, then they well be well-supported. The only differentiator between page rendering among browsers should really be speed. (I believe Opera is actually one of the browsers that adheres most closely to the specs.)

LOL

Opera is the browser that adheres to the specifications most closely, and yet it is the least usable. Why? Because web developers don't test with it. Specs are irrelevant. Testing is relevant, and testing is caused by marketshare.

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#14

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:17 PM UTC

alexlitov wrote: post #10

azakai wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even though Google is a major corporation, I doubt they can afford to spend the time fixing issues in a browser that gets lower single digit uses. You're joking, I hope? Of course Google has the resources. It's one of the biggest companies in tech. Not only does Google have the money to do it, but it really looks bad by not supporting Opera and telling people to use Chrome. Just to prevent that bad publicity it wou…

While Google has the resources to support Opera, it's not financially prudent to dedicate them to support a browser that barely has any market share.

[deleted]

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#15

Post by manojlds » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:18 PM UTC

ta12121 wrote: post #13

Xcelerate wrote: post #5

This whole "supporting browsers" thing should be gone, and very soon. There are specifications that browser makers should follow, and if they are all supporting those specifications, then they well be well-supported. The only differentiator between page rendering among browsers should really be speed. (I believe Opera is actually one of the browsers that adheres most closely to the specs.)

LOL Opera is the browser that adheres to the specifications most closely, and yet it is the least usable. Why? Because web developers don't test with it. Specs are irrelevant. Testing is relevant, and testing is caused by marketshare.

It is a chicken and egg case, right? Without support, no increase in market share, and no market share means, no support. Hence it is sad that a big player like Google does this, in an apparent act of getting more people on to Chrome. If Google does no evil, they will support ( we all know they can ) the most standards compliant browser.

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#16

Post by tomjen3 » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:22 PM UTC

hugh4life wrote: post #12

"The reason I felt it important to pass on this news to non-Opera users is that I’m wondering if Google are going to stop at Opera? I get the sense that this could be the thin end of a wedge, and that Opera may not be the only browser which ends up getting the cold shoulder." I doubt Google will give a cold shoulder to browsers with actual market share. I'm glad Opera exists to keep a check on the other browser maker…

Agreed. I don't get why people like it so much. Something must be wrong with it to only have so few users -- it has been around for more than two years now, I think.

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#17

Post by azakai » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:23 PM UTC

alexlitov wrote: post #10

azakai wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even though Google is a major corporation, I doubt they can afford to spend the time fixing issues in a browser that gets lower single digit uses. You're joking, I hope? Of course Google has the resources. It's one of the biggest companies in tech. Not only does Google have the money to do it, but it really looks bad by not supporting Opera and telling people to use Chrome. Just to prevent that bad publicity it wou…

While Google has the resources to support Opera, it's not financially prudent to dedicate them to support a browser that barely has any market share.

> While Google has the resources to support Opera, it's not financially prudent to dedicate them to support a browser that barely has any market share.

Really? How much do you think it costs to make Blogger work on Opera?

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#18

Post by tomjen3 » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:25 PM UTC

Xcelerate wrote: post #5

This whole "supporting browsers" thing should be gone, and very soon. There are specifications that browser makers should follow, and if they are all supporting those specifications, then they well be well-supported. The only differentiator between page rendering among browsers should really be speed. (I believe Opera is actually one of the browsers that adheres most closely to the specs.)

That would be lovely, but as long as IE is as far behind as they are (and at work we don't even run on less than ie 9, which is still horrible) and, crucially, don't force their users to only use the newest version. That will never happen. The web will be limited to what works in modern browsers, regardless of standards, and IE, 2-3 versions back.

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#19

Post by sp332 » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:26 PM UTC

hugh4life wrote: post #12

"The reason I felt it important to pass on this news to non-Opera users is that I’m wondering if Google are going to stop at Opera? I get the sense that this could be the thin end of a wedge, and that Opera may not be the only browser which ends up getting the cold shoulder." I doubt Google will give a cold shoulder to browsers with actual market share. I'm glad Opera exists to keep a check on the other browser maker…

A user base of 300,000,000 means they can't have less than 4.2% market share, even if the whole population of the earth were online.

Re: Google Service Drops Support for Opera

#20

Post by simonw » Tue, Jul 03, 2012, 7:28 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #19

hugh4life wrote: post #12

"The reason I felt it important to pass on this news to non-Opera users is that I’m wondering if Google are going to stop at Opera? I get the sense that this could be the thin end of a wedge, and that Opera may not be the only browser which ends up getting the cold shoulder." I doubt Google will give a cold shoulder to browsers with actual market share. I'm glad Opera exists to keep a check on the other browser maker…

A user base of 300,000,000 means they can't have less than 4.2% market share, even if the whole population of the earth were online.

I'm pretty sure that number includes opera mini / opera mobile users. I don't know what the numbers for opera desktop are but I'm certain they're a fraction of opera's mobile offerings.