# General preferences

To specify your home page, enter its Internet address in the field labeled Home page URL:, or click the Current button to use the current page as your home page.

Opera has two layout modes: Content column and Traditional. Traditional mode lays out the web page just like on a normal computer, while content column mode presents the page in a format that is better suited to a small screen. You may use the Layout mode: selection box to switch between the modes, and you may also specify whether to show images or not. Toggling between the layout modes can also be done by clicking the layout mode button on the toolbar.

In the selection box labelled Popup Windows you may choose to either refuse or accept popup windows, or to open them in the background. All popups will be opened as normal windows and added to the window list . Whenever a popup opens, you will be presented with a popup control dialogue that allows you to discard the popup, or to select whether you want to view the popup window or the original. This dialog closes itself after a few seconds, so you do not have to take any actions to continue browsing. Later, popup windows can be closed from the window list , or from the main menu .

You may set the default Scrolling mode to either Grab and move where the page will move with the stylus, or Scroll with selection where the page scrolls in the opposite direction when you move the stylus off the page edge.

You may choose to hide scrollbars in order to increase the viewing area.

The OK button saves your settings and closes the general preferences dialog. The Apply button saves your settings. The Reset button undoes any changes you have made.

To go directly to the other preference settings you can click the < and > buttons.