I use both Ubuntu and Windows and have all the major browsers installed on my PCs. In Ubuntu, I use FF3, Opera, Flock and Konqueror. FF3 is my main browser and I use Opera when I don't need to use any of my FF extensions. I've also used Opera as my research browser whenever I need to use Google extensively - there's nothing easier or faster than using mouse gestures to advance through page after page of search results. Because I use all the browsers, I've been able to determine how each serves me best and I use them accordingly. However, in recent times, I've been doing far more Internet surfing from within Linux, so FF, Opera and Flock have been getting much more usage than Chrome and Safari on Windows (I no longer use IE for anything other than Windows updates on my XP PC and to modify my Linksys router settings on occasion).
The only things that Opera needs to do to gain more market share are
1- Create a new, intuitive interface that keeps its current functionality without making newbies think it looks complicated to use,
2- Discard the widgets platform and replace it with an extensions platform similar to that of Firefox. There's a good chance that an extensions platform might actually allow some developers to develop versions of popular Firefox add-ons for the new platform, thus increasing Opera's market share. »