The Vivaldi web browser is already a compelling alternative to Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox, and now it’s getting even better with upgraded tab synchronization. There are also some helpful changes to the new tab page, performance controls, and the built-in mail client.
Vivaldi 7.7 is rolling out now for Windows, macOS, and desktop Linux, and the main improvement is a better organization for synchronized tabs and windows. When you move from one computer to another one, you can recreate your exact workspace with your tabs and tab stacks fully intact. It’s close in functionality to the tab sync in Firefox and Chrome, but Vivaldi’s implementation is more focused on maintaining the entire organizational structure of your browser’s workspace.
The company said in a blog post, “You can bring over entire windows with their complete structure intact. Stacks stay stacked, workspace organization is preserved, and the relationships between your tabs remain exactly as you arranged them.”
Credit: Vivaldi
The update also merges speed dials (Vivaldi takes inspiration from the classic Opera browser) and widgets into a new “Start Page experience,” acting as the browser’s default new tab page. You can set up a customized dashboard with your frequently-used links, a tasks list, bookmarks, weather information, and other elements.
You can also still ignore the start page completely, either by setting it to a blank page or a specific webpage. For better and worse, Vivaldi might be the most customizable web browser ever built—the endless settings panels can be intimidating, but if you don’t like something, you can probably change it.
Speaking of settings panels, there’s a new Performance section with options for Energy Saver and Memory Saver. You can use them to make Vivaldi take up more system resources for faster performance, or dial the browser back for your other apps’ benefit.
Credit: Vivaldi
The Vivaldi update has a few minor changes to round out the list, too. If you use Vivaldi’s built-in email client, you’ll appreciate the visual and readability changes. The Privacy Dashboard and About page have also been redesigned.
The blog post also said, “Every mainstream browser is converging on the same simplified, locked-down experience. Vivaldi moves in the opposite direction: more control, more flexibility, more respect for the fact that users have their own workflows and deserve tools to make the browser adapt to them.”
Vivaldi 7.7 is rolling out now for Windows, Linux, and macOS. You can download it from the official website, and mobile versions for Android and iOS are also available.
Source: Vivaldi
