Which browser do you use? Please help with poll!

[RogerM]

My son and I are building a website and now need to optimise it so that it will work in all browsers. Please tick above to show which browser you use by default. We are having problems with Internet Explorer 8 thru Vista, although there is no problem with IE8 with XP. It would be helpful to understand how many this is likely to affect, so please complete the poll. If your answer is "none of the above" please let us know which. Many thanks.

 

[Smudger]

'Apple' by itself doesn't cover it!

Mac OSX - Firefox

 

[RogerM]

'Apple' by itself doesn't cover it!

Mac OSX - Firefox

Thanks Dick. Duly noted. My son has done all the initial work in Chrome and since safari uses the same rendering engine as chrome there has been no problem with any of the Apple combos he's tried. IE8 with Vista is the main stumbling block. And I think Mac OSX with IE8 is an unlikely combination!

 

[zeb]

U forgot to put Linux in or opera :roll:

coming form building a few sites and knowing a few people in the business this is how i would go about it ...
build it in IE then make it work for every other browser focus on firefox as that the main other to ie ,as most people still use IE even thou its not very good,

 

[RogerM]

U forgot to put Linux in or opera :roll:

coming form building a few sites and knowing a few people in the business this is how i would go about it ...
build it in IE then make it work for every other browser focus on firefox as that the main other to ie ,as most people still use IE even thou its not very good,

Thanks Zeb. My son has Linux covered. I appreciate that it may be normal to build in IE first - but my son is a Google engineer so was predisposed to building it in Chrome and then optimise for IE. Since starting this poll he's got around the problem with IE8 in Vista by finding a way to force IE8 to think it's IE7... Don't ask me - I'm not the techie!

 

[yo_chuci]

xp and firefox/chrome.

an add-on for firefox lets me change firefox to read ie based stuff at the press of a button. a few people might have this add-on but i would go with what zeb says.
build for ie then modify for others

 

[Dibs-h]

Firefox on XP on the whole - occasionally Chrome on XP.

Most chaps I've known usually code for a standards compliant browser (usually Firefox) and then fix the quirks on the other non-stds compliant ones. I've never known anyone to optimise a site for most if not all browsers\os's.

Perhaps someone who does sites for a living would care to chip in? (No need for me to dob them in. ) :wink:

 

[matt]

http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp

and then, when you're finished...

http://www.browsercam.com/Default2.aspx

By the sound of things you've got this all covered but, FWIW...
It's been a while... but I would code for Firefox and use a DOCTYPE declaration that suits the standard to which you aim to code - that way you can better predict and future proof your quirks coding to avoid your site breaking when, for example, Internet Explorer fixes a bug.

 

[cambournepete]

he's got around the problem with IE8 in Vista by finding a way to force IE8 to think it's IE7... Don't ask me - I'm not the techie!

He's probably using IE8 in compatibility mode.
Not all users will know about that though - most at work don't - so you shouldn't assume you website will work for everyone using IE8.

 

[Dave S]

You need to put the brakes, on, do some research, and get some advice - well I guess you are doing the latter.
Linux, Apple and Opera are missed out or inadequately covered, as has already been pointed out.

Your biggest mistake is that you have missed out IE6, which is still very widely used. It's still the corporaate standard at the company where I have my day job, due to incompatabilities of later versions with key web-based corporate applications. Browser stats are notoriously unreliable, but around 20% usage of IE6 seems to be about the average, and is similar to stats on sites that I manage (away from my day job, I should add).

DO NOT develop for IE, despite it being the most popular browser. It is the most non-standard conforming browser and it only leads to headaches further on trying to ensure it works in the more standard-conforming browsers.

Most in the business (myself included) develop using Firefox (the developer addons are indispensable IMO), validate the pages, and then apply the tweaks and hacks that are required for IE. There is a LOT of resource on the web to assist with tweaking a valid site to work in IE.

All the above assumes coding the site by hand. If using some kind of wysiwyg-type package it's more of a headache because the generated code is so poor in the first place.

HTH
Dave

 

[RogerM]

You need to put the brakes, on, do some research, and get some advice - well I guess you are doing the latter.
Linux, Apple and Opera are missed out or inadequately covered, as has already been pointed out.

Your biggest mistake is that you have missed out IE6, which is still very widely used. It's still the corporaate standard at the company where I have my day job, due to incompatabilities of later versions with key web-based corporate applications. Browser stats are notoriously unreliable, but around 20% usage of IE6 seems to be about the average, and is similar to stats on sites that I manage (away from my day job, I should add).

DO NOT develop for IE, despite it being the most popular browser. It is the most non-standard conforming browser and it only leads to headaches further on trying to ensure it works in the more standard-conforming browsers.

Most in the business (myself included) develop using Firefox (the developer addons are indispensable IMO), validate the pages, and then apply the tweaks and hacks that are required for IE. There is a LOT of resource on the web to assist with tweaking a valid site to work in IE.

All the above assumes coding the site by hand. If using some kind of wysiwyg-type package it's more of a headache because the generated code is so poor in the first place.

HTH
Dave

Thanks Dave. My son has already ensured full functionality in Linux, Apple, Firefox, Chrome and IE6. Sorting IE6 resolved most of the problems in IE7 and 8. Opera still needs checking. Being a Google engineer, you will forgive him for working in Chrome, but Firefox was used alongside as he tells me that it has a useful debugging plugin called "firebug", and all code was done by hand. Part of his job is to ensure that all new functions in Google products use code in the most efficient and economic fashion - wysiwyg packages are an absolute no-no!

 

[Dave S]

Thanks Dave. My son has already ensured full functionality in Linux, Apple, Firefox, Chrome and IE6. Sorting IE6 resolved most of the problems in IE7 and 8. Opera still needs checking. Being a Google engineer, you will forgive him for working in Chrome, but Firefox was used alongside as he tells me that it has a useful debugging plugin called "firebug", and all code was done by hand. Part of his job is to ensure that all new functions in Google products use code in the most efficient and economic fashion - wysiwyg packages are an absolute no-no!

In which case you are probably ok!

Firebug is an absolutely brilliant plugin - that is what I was thnking of when I said the addons are indispensible.

Not sure I can forgive working in Chrome, though!! :lol:

Dave

 

[Gower]

Just upgraded to Windows 7 so giving IE a go but will most likely go back to Firefox. XP and Firefox previously.
Cheers,
Jim

 

[wizer]

FF & XP for me. Good luck with the venture Roger. Let us know how it goes.

 

[MIGNAL]

Linux & Firefox. I'm cheap.

 

[kityuser]

osx + FF
osx + safari
xp + safari
linux + ff
linux + opera
solaris + ff
solaris + opera
ipod touch + safari(mobile)

:?
I find some browsers better at doing some things than others, but all of them hog TOO much memory and end up as run away processes after being open too long

Steve

 

[Vormulac]

Up until last week the OS was XP and the browser would be a combination of Firefox, Chrome or IE, although primarily FF. Now I'm using Windows 7 and again primarily but not exclusively FF.

 

[Russell]

Can I post twice or even 3 times for the different systems I have.

 

[Russell]

the answer is yes

I have 3 systems that use firefox with XP and one that uses Vista and Firefox

 

[RogerM]

Can I post twice or even 3 times for the different systems I have.

I don't think that you can vote more than once in a poll, but you can list what you have as many times as you like as a posting.

Thanks to all who have completed the poll. We have a working site for all combinations of Apple OS, MS WIN and Linux with Firefox, IE 6,7 and 8, and Google Chrome and we'll test in Win 7 asap.

Mods permitting, I'll post a link to the site here as soon as it's ready to go live.