Opera 'reinvents the web' with Opera Unite
- Thread starter Ratbag
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Yup, it doesn't copy your files out to the cloud. So if you want access to your photos, music, files you'll need to have your PC on.
I think reinventing the web was hyping it up a little too much, but having access to my music collection 24/7 over the internet just by accessing a web page is definitely a welcome addition. Especially as they said they'll be adding more media player controls soon, hopefully playlists, shuffle and so on.
Personally I can't see any of it being "copied".
If you want to access your music, pictures et al from other PCs there are far better ways. Such as a VPN with Hamachi.
They plug their Unite as "not needing to upload anything to the net". What the?! First of all that is just plain lying. What they meant to say is "no need to upload to a central server like cloud services require". But Opera's supposed solution is to simply host everything off your DSL line. So if you have a large family who want to look at your holiday snaps then instead of uploading them all just once to the cloud you've got to upload them X number of times, where X is the number of people in your family that are viewing them. Suddenly Opera's claimed advantage is no longer an advantage...
The second part of your post confuses me? Why would you need to upload your photos more than once? You select the folder you want to share and that's it? No need to upload at all. People will access those photos the same way they'd access them on a server, expect for the fact you didn't need to upload them anywhere.
And I wouldn't say a VPN or Hamachi is a better way to have access to all of your photos, music and files. Both are much harder to configure for the average user compared to signing up for an Opera account and select the folder to share.
Yep, but you overestimate the peoples computing knowledge and skills. Setting up your own chat server, persistent noticeboard, web server and so on is far beyond most folk. MSN messenger and a dodgy filesharing app is the best most people can manage or can be bothered to setup.
I'm actually impressed. I thought it was going to suck!
It's really easy, I'm sure almost anyone could do it... the media player is better than I thought too (not super, but definitely usable!).
Don't knock it until you've tried it... obviously it's not useful for high usage situations but for normal people stuff? I like it!
It's really easy, I'm sure almost anyone could do it... the media player is better than I thought too (not super, but definitely usable!).
Don't knock it until you've tried it... obviously it's not useful for high usage situations but for normal people stuff? I like it!
So you select the folder you want to share, and say Person X wants to access a photo, so he logs in and downloads that photo, job done. Then say person Y wants to do the same, so he logs in and downloads it as well.
So now 2 people have accessed the same file, and so there are 2 total downloads.
That means that you have uploaded the file twice. Add more people and this number increases.
Wheres with cloud or a normal web server, you upload ONCE to that server, and they download off that server. So it doesnt effect your own bandwidth.
Since UK internet is so dire that maximum sort of upload speeds we are seeing is about 2mb if at all, this idea will just force everyone's download speeds to go back to 512kb ADSL speeds, instead of utilising 100mbit connections at a data centre where most web servers are. In areas like Japan where they have 100mbit connections in their own home, opera's idea is much more useful.
I do see a future with this sort of technology, but not at the moment. I mean just turn on today's BBC news and they have a news report on how the government wants the UK to be the "digital capital of the world" by providing 2mbps download speeds to rural areas like that is some sort of achievement. The UK at least isnt ready for what opera is hoping for.
Derp. I understnad what he means now, totally makes sense. I still don't see that as a problem though. You say the UK broadband upload speeds are dire. But if you're sharing photos with a few family memeber or just using it to access files from work the upload speed is not going to be a problem.
If you're the type of person who needs to share files with thousands/millions of people you'll already know a home connection and computer is not enough and have a dedicated server setup.
Soldato
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- 19 May 2005
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I gave in and gave it ago. I have no uni stalled it. I just don't like it plain and simple I have no need for the extra gear. The final nail in the coffin was chrome 18,000K usage and opera 80,000K usage
Wow, you really don't like Opera do you. I don't understand how you can say setting up a VPN is easier than just clicking on a link? I also don't understand how that is better than what opera is offering when you critise opera for hanging off your DSL? Does using a VPN suddenly give you a dedicated line?
You don't like it. Fair enough, but then I guess you're very technical minded who thinks nothing of throwing a few tunnels together along with setting up shares and what not. But for the everage user, this is reinventing the web. People can now share all their important documents very, very, easily. Whereas most saw the internet as a one way street, they can now throw a website together, share their documents, share their pictures, so next time they are on something like facebook to their family, they just send their family member a link and presto, they have shared all their pictures, or music.
Not bad if you ask me, not bad at all for those who wouldn't have a clue what a VPN is. Most people call an ATM a hole in the wall, or a cash machine...
Soldato
- Joined
- 19 May 2005
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You only running on 256Mb?
4Gb. It uses far more than chrome and is no better for me
I've nothing against them. I just don't like flawed ideas which are 95% vapourware and 5% substance.
Nothing is stopping anyone from hosting a web server. People have been able to do this for over 15 years. The problem is that hosting them on your residential internet connection rarely makes sense when high resolution pictures or video content are involved as are commonplace today.
Opera's Unite is nothing more than...
1) A basic web server, no doubt with plenty of security vulnerabilities waiting to be found.
2) Some stock HTML/CSS templates that give a modern look'n'feel with no work (I suspect this is the part that Opera spent the majority of their time actually developing).
3) A DynamicDNS style service to give everyone a consistent web address where IP changes don't matter.