I wasn't comparing the optimized/non-optimized features of NetFront to the hardware buttons on the 770, I was comparing them to the menu option for "Optimized View," which is a rather different feature. As far as I can tell, the PEG-UX50 doesn't include any hardware features similar to the hardware "zoom" buttons on the Nokia 770 (or 7700, as you observe).

It's also true to say that Opera didn't conceive the concept of this "optimized view" business either, as NetFront goes back a ways and even the lackluster Blazer web browser includes a wide page/optimized view option, but Opera has been obviously designed with mobile devices in mind since at least version 7 -- as is evidenced by their "small screen rendering" feature.