The Opera browser is still singing at 30 - and with its recent AI upgrade it's come a long way from the days of floppy disks

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The origins of the net internet ride began in Norway in the mid-90s.

Users had to pay to use it at first, providing they were content after an initial trial period.

Like we said, it was alongtime ago.

The public release didnt come until 1996 with version 2.10, which ran on Windows 95.

From there, though, the internet tool flourished.

And it was something of a trailblazer for many years.

Opera was best known for its multiple document interface (MDI) and hotlist (or sidebar) features.

Indeed, 2000 was a big year for the surfing app.

The Opera 4.0 release boasted cross-platform capabilities, enabling the creation of editions for use on multipleoperating systemsand platforms.

The world was no longer a completeMicrosoftshop at that point, so the developers had to adapt.

Moreover, that year also saw the release of version 5.0.

This marked a significant moment for the web app.

If only theyd known.

Operas experience with ads was rather short-lived, in fairness.

With 2005 came the release of version 8.5, which removed ads completely.

Opera is still going strong

So whats Opera doing today?

The online window is still going strong, commanding a userbase of just under 400 million globally.

Figures fromStatcountershow the online window commands a 2.14% share of the global market.