The latest version of the Opera browser comes with a new feature, Speed Dial that gives users quick access to up to nine favourite Web pages.

Every time a new tab is opened, instead of a blank page, the user is presented with a 3×3 grid of thumbnails, into which a web address can be stored. The thumbnail then becomes a small image of the page. To open a page the user clicks on the corresponding thumbnail, or use the keyboard shortcuts ⌘ + [1-9], or simply enters the number (from 1-9) in the address bar.

The new feature is part of Opera 9.2 which is available for Windows, Mac and Linux in 31 languages. It is also a recommended security upgrade and can be downloaded free from www.opera.com.

An advantage of the feature, in addition to faster loading, is claimed to be that it enable the user to check if a page has been updated before opening it, but in reality only large scale changes will be noticeable on the postage stamp sized page images in the Speed Dial tab.

However the fast loading should be a real boon to those who return to the same sites several times in a day.