BitTorrent users, ignore Opera at your inconvenience

Millions of broadband Internet users have signed up for high-speed Web access because they want to trade files- legally or not- on BitTorrent.

As of last August, 45 million people had downloaded the BitTorrent client. Given projected growth rates, I wouldn't be surprised if that number was now somewhat north of 60 million.

While BitTorrent is a major Internet factor, the Opera Web browser is barely above cult status. In North America, it is an afterthought after Mozilla and some  other browser with a two-vowel initial whose name I cannot seem to recall at the moment :-).

Opera's anonymity is a shame, because it is small, fast and doesn't lock up. Adopting a phrase used by devotees of the musical opera often say, "it's not over 'til the fat browser crashes."

But Opera will not be anonymous for long. That's because Opera 9 has a built-in tab for BitTorrent transfers.

That's a screen cap of this feature from InternetWeek's excellent article, Review: Opera 9.0 Technology Preview 2. 

When you initiate your first BitTorrent transfer, Opera will show you a configuration screen. You indicate your settings, and Opera remembers them for future BitTorrent activity.

Opera 9 has also added BitTorrent to its list of search engines. Here:

Undeservedly obscure browser hooks up with massively popular file-swapping client. A story only for Hollywood, or more likely, Oslo (where Opera is based).

I have two questions for you readers:

1. Now that there's a BitTorrent toolbar in Opera, will you make Opera your default browser?

2. Now that there's a BitTorrent toolbar in Opera, will you access BitTorrent through the toolbar rather than the BitTorrent client? 

TalkBacks, please!