Free ticket to the Opera

My second-favorite browser, Opera, made a surprising move this week - it's free. The browser was formerly ad-supported, with an integrated banner ad in the previous "free" version of the browser. Users who wanted to rid themselves of the ad could pay an upgrade free to get the full version.

So why the switch? Wouldn't an ad-free browser mean no profits? Not if Google played a part in the decision. See, Google pays Opera for people who use the built-in search feature in their browser. Apparently Mozilla Firefox, my current browser of choice, has a similar deal. But Firefox has always been free.

Interesting moves on the part of both Opera and Google. It will be interesting to see if the change makes Opera stake a larger claim in the escalating browser wars.