Probably because they'd loose their sales of Opera for portable devices.
Opera mini is the one for portable devices.
Anyhow even if they did make Opera mini free - if the device makers want a good web-browser - if they want Opera mini to have it's development continued - they will have to pay Opera if they don't find someone else to develop it. If they don't, then it just won't be developed, much.
Anyway, I'm glad Opera's closed source in a way because it stops it becoming bloated with shit
Oh yea - because all free software is bloated with shit.
alright if I were a nerd I could possible recompile it but luckilly I don't have to bother.
You've used Firefox - did you have to compile it just because it's free software?