It allows us to work with ISPs and portals and anyone else who wants to promote a browser. It will be an important point to get distribution through portals and ISPs. Not a lot of them are happy with Microsoft, having helped them distribute Internet Explorer and now seeing the Microsoft Network come out that door competing with them worldwide. Now they are looking for an alternative, and we have that. The only potential barrier in the way of capturing siginficant market share will be the presence of that single banner ad.
People can always decide they want to pay for the browser.
There will be some people that don't want to use it, but we have to get revenue one way or another, and a lot of people are willing to see an ad in order to get a high quality browser. It's a small price to pay. The lesser concern heard in the marketplace is that Opera is playing the same numbers game as Microsoft and Netscape, with both having been in an annual race to be out with the next big number, as in versions 3 and 4. Micsrosoft now has 5.5 out, and Netscape has responded by skipping version 5 and going from 4.75 straight to 6.0. Not at all, says Jon.