I was looking for a list of requirements for Opera, and found this browser comparison table [archive.org]. Opera is compared to “Browser 1” and “Browser 2” on various features, speed, security, etc. Browser 2 doesn’t look too favorable, but Browser 1 looks terrible.
Of course, even if you don’t recognize the specs, you can identify them easily by the column headers:
- Opera is red
- Browser 1 is blue
- Browser 2 is orange
Hmmm….
![[Opera icon: Red]](https://hyperborea.org/journal/wp-content/uploads/2004/12/opera-48.png "Opera"){kind=small}
![[IE icon: Blue]](https://hyperborea.org/journal/wp-content/uploads/2004/12/ie6-48.png){kind=small}
![[Firefox icon: Orange and Blue]](https://hyperborea.org/journal/wp-content/uploads/2004/12/firefox-48.png "Firefox"){kind=small}
Interestingly, I’ve got a project I’ve been working on off-and-on for a couple of weeks, and I’ve already put together a design using just color to represent different browsers.
It looks like I may have been on to something.
Update August 8, 2005: Apparently there are countries in which it is illegal to mention a competitor by name in ads, which might explain the tactic. Also, Opera has taken down the page, replacing it with a note that “This page is under development.”
