Opera Mail launches as dedicated desktop email client

Dave LeClair

Posts: 75   +1

Opera's recent transition to to Chromium and Blink resulted in the underdog web browser losing its integrated email client. Although longtime users may see that as a step in the wrong direction, today the Norweigan company is offering a standalone client as a replacement, which is touted as lightweight and fast.

Opera Mail features a tabbed interface so users can have multiple items open at the same time and switch back and forth between them. Although definitely not the first to implement this, it certainly streamlines getting work done, as being able to jump around without closing tabs can be quite convenient. 

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Another interesting design choice in Opera Mail is the way it organizes conversations. The software creates threads of all conversations in which a user is involved, with the option to unfollow one when it no longer seems relevant. When those giant chains of email get out of control, this feature should be nice, either for keeping the conversation organized or for unsubscribing from the email thread altogether. 

The company also built a deep system of filters and labels into the mail client to help you keep things organized.

While Opera did a good job with Opera Mail it seems that less and less people are relying on dedicated email clients clients nowadays, opting to use a standard web-based interface instead. Integrating it into the browser might have represented a fair middle ground between both approaches.

If you are among those that still swear by desktop email clients be sure to check it out.

Download: Opera Mail for Windows and OS X

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Well I like opera, but I hate the fact that it can not be set as a default email client in windows 8. Shame on windows for not allowing it to be used.
 
Unlike previous commenters I believe Opera does stand a chance, even though it's late to the second (or third, or fourth) wave of email desktop clients. It should be somewhat easier competing here than against Chrome and IE in the browser world.
 
Unlike previous commenters I believe Opera does stand a chance, even though it's late to the second (or third, or fourth) wave of email desktop clients. It should be somewhat easier competing here than against Chrome and IE in the browser world.

How do you make it a default email client in Win 8?
 
Unlike previous commenters I believe Opera does stand a chance, even though it's late to the second (or third, or fourth) wave of email desktop clients. It should be somewhat easier competing here than against Chrome and IE in the browser world.

Well, the interface is just like any other email client, just like Thunderbird. It doesnt really bring anything new to the table.

After using Opera Mail for a few more hours, I actually appreciate it more. The feed reader isnt that great though, I will stick with Feedly for that.
 
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Opera Mail designed based on the loss of Email support within the latest browser redesign? In other words it brings nothing new, because its an old browser separated into an independent new browser and email client.
 
Opera[Mail] ceased to exist at version 12.xx. Relating to Opera with regard to something that isn't Opera anymore is ludicrous. In Norway office they should have big banner: We sold our souls for Google money.

As for using web based email. Haha, never ever. The Bat FTW. Used Opera (and still do 12.14) for ages but never liked internal e-mail client.
 
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