Another Browser called Opera Neon

In 2000, I was using Windows 98 and ran Netscape, IE, Mozilla and probably a few other obscure browsers. As a web developer, I had to see what it all looked like on all browsers. Here I am in 2017, and a new browser came around, but it immediately reminded of the glory days of browsers (as if that is a thing…browser wars have always been a pain to deal with).

During the glory days, there was a browser that was basically a skin thrown on IE called Neoplanet. The functionality wasn’t that different, but it looked slick. Who didn’t want a cool looking browser like this in 2000?:

Neoplanet was a good try at going against the grain, but it didn’t take off. It was based on Internet Explorer (IE) and IE itself is dead, as we all know. Its replacement is called Microsoft Edge, and like most browsers like Safari, Chrome, etc., these days is based on WebKit.

Just like these browsers, Neon is based on WebKit, which is a good start. I wouldn’t say this new browser nearly as odd as NeoPlanet, in fact, it actually seems like a pretty cool, but my guess is that it will flop.

Below are some screenshots of Neon in action. The way it interacts almost seems childish, or maybe just “fun”.

The only use-case I have for this browser is when I’m done with work, I can have a browser where I don’t have 9 “pinned” tabs showing up. This allows me to do “personal stuff” without being tempted to jump on my email real quick, or respond to that trouble ticket that comes in at 9:30pm.

It is worth checking out if you are a web developer, and if you don’t have time, watch the video: