Does Google have an ear for Opera?

Is Google getting ready to buy browser maker Opera Software? That's the rumor making the rounds in the blog world this week.

Pierre Chappaz, former president of Yahoo Europe, posted a report on his blog about the deal, which he attributed to a knowledgeable source.

Opera, which went public last year, has tried to make a niche for itself in the mobile phone sector. The company recently eliminated ads in its browser.

Many bloggers were skeptical about the rumor, pointing out that Google has seemingly favored the Firefox browser as an alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

Blog community response:

"Opera is a key browser in the mobile space so that might be an excellent reason for an acquisition plus it takes it off the market and keeps it from another company (take your pick, nane your reason) from acquiring what in my opinion is a wonderful and constantly improving tool. You've got to wonder if Opera's removal of Google ads, making the product free, and an acquisition by Google are all related?"
--SearchEngineWatch

"Given how close Google is with the Firefox community, this one just doesn't make sense. However, Google could benefit from Opera's strong presence in the mobile space, where it is beating everyone to the punch."
--Om Malik's blog

"While Google is partially funding Opera through its position as their default search engine, I can't see them buying it. There are too many Firefox developers working in influential positions at Google. It would mean a turf war. Unless that's exactly what they want."
--InsideGoogle

"Many top programmers for FireFox have ties to Google, but the open source status of the project makes it tough for Google to get more involved."
--GoogleRumors