The web browser market was originally highly competitive with different browsers all competing to encourage people to use their product. We started out with Internet Explorer and Opera before Firefox was introduced in 2004 and set about acquiring a big following. Google unveiled Chrome in 2008 and brought even more competition but since then there has been very few new developments. Apple users have seen even more stability with Safari.
Vivaldi is the newest development in web browsing and seeks to bring back many features that were present in Opera 12 but removed from newer, updated versions. It is aimed at power users rather than the wider market, i.e. people that want to do more with the product rather than just browse. This means that it is unlikely to make the big splash that popular systems have but it could achieve a loyal following like Opera did. If you are familiar with that browser this new one could be exactly what you have been looking for.
The Vivaldi browser is designed to help rediscover the original aims behind Opera, giving power users a product that is designed purely for them. Developer Jon S. von Tetzchner was a co-founded and CEO of Opera but didn’t agree with the new direction it was taking. He decided it was time to go back to the roots of the original product and design something for the users, even if they only made up a small target market. Vivaldi’s aim is to give people the ability to do more with the web than other browsers by including the features that power users want.
There is potential for Vivaldi to reshape the market in the future just like older versions of Opera did. Many things people take for granted with modern products, including features like tabbed browsing and mouse gestures, were pioneered using that browser before being copied by competitors. If Vivaldi is successful in attracting power users then it could hold the key for future developments and create a real competitor to Opera.
You can try the new browser right now, but be aware it is not quite finished and remains without a number of extensions. Development of the product will continue, and we look forward to seeing how it will continue to evolve in the future.