Chances are that if you're reading this, you're using some sort of browser to decipher the HTML that was used to create just about everything on this page - with the exception of the images. Unless of course you're reading this on paper because someone printed it out - which I doubt. I mean who the hell would really want to waste their time, paper, and ink to print this out? Maybe you if you've printed this out.

Believe it or not, your browser plays a major role in protecting you computer from viruses, spy-ware and damnation. Though I trust many of you hard-core Geeks already know that by now. Any of you who routinly search for warez, cracks, or porn online and used Internet Explorer with ActiveX enabled probably know this all too well. Before you know it you have three programs running in the background that generate more popups while viewing web pages. Hell, some of these programs even redirect popular websites, such as Google or in some cases, porn.com, to their own sites. That can be pretty annoying if you're not a Geek and don't know how to fix it.

Opera from Opera Software ASA has been a contender in the broswer arena for the last several years as far as I am concerned. I have been a happy user for years now. Though with their recent decision to offer their broswer for free on September 22, 2005, it only helped to spark interest in alternatives to Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox and other browswers that have been deemed "insecure" or not "l33t".

I have recently downloaded the latest version of Opera, version 9, and am able to say that I am satisified with the features, layout, and speed that  the newest version has to offer.