When Opera was first released for Windows Mobile, I played with it for a while, but didn't see enough value to offset the $30 price tag. It was a nice experience and the browser was fast, but I didnt' see the need to put out some hard earned cash just for that. IE Mobile was good enough for my needs anyway. Opera Mobile 9.5 has changed all that, or at least it looks like it will. This is loaded with helpful features and puts IE Mobile to shame. Check out this video and see all the coolness that Opera Mobile 9.5 has to offer.
What's Microsoft been doing the last couple years? It's not like the public hasn't been crying for tabbed support, faster loading, wider HTML support, and so much more. All we've seen is a little support for Ajax added.
Ah, well... At least IE Mobile isn't alone in the "left to rot on the side of the road" category. Windows Media Player is right there along side it. :-(