The first details for the next Opera (v10) website browser have finally been revealed, highlighting what the developers intend to do against Microsoft's forthcoming IE7 and Firefox v2:

Opera wants version 10 to work on and across any platform, a continuation of its work to make Opera 9 compatible with different platforms such as Nintendo DS games consoles, as a way of differentiating the browser from Microsoft's offering.

"We want to enable Opera 10 to work on any device — mobile, desktop, games consoles. We want to find ways to tie things in much better," Ford told ZDNet UK. "That's something we do that Microsoft fundamentally can't."

The company will also develop more Widgets — HTML and Javascript web applications that run outside of the browser. Opera is aiming for a day when people needn't use a full desktop operating system, instead using a browser and Web applications for most tasks.

The ZDNet item is somewhat thin on specifics, but we and many others will be looking forward to seeing how the market adapts to IE7's introduction later this year. Initial feedback from its beta 3 release has been unusually positive for a Microsoft product.

We don’t expect too many of the entrenched Firefox/Opera users to switch because IE7 offers little tangible benefit over FF, yet existing IE6 users may feel less inclined to use an alternative; slowing FF’s growth. Ultimately, consumers win.