While surfing the internet for design tutorials I came across a service that supposedly can send you screenshots of what your site looks like in different browsers. It would be pricey for amateur work I guess($15 for one time use and $150 per year subscription). I am serious about designing websites professionally and already have one potential client. Would this be something that you guys could recommend? As far as browser compatability I know that making sure a site validates is very important but it is only a guide. As an example, I recently designed my own site and checked it in the validators (html,css) as well as IE 6.0 and Navigator 7.0. It came out exactly the way I wanted it. My sister looked at it on her computer (same browser but very low screen resolution) and the address part actually got shoved up into the main section. If anyone has any experience with the service I mentioned I would like to here it. Here is the link...<br />
<br />
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.netmechanic.com/browser-index.htm">http://www.netmechanic.com/browser-index.htm</a><!-- m --><br />
<br />
Thanks.<!--content-->What a rip off! I could do this for a dollar for you. Man!!! First thing to remember is that 95% plus of all users use Explorer... the other is that if you want to check em on different platforms down load the platforms for free.<br />
<br />
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.tucows.com">www.tucows.com</a><!-- w --> has at least 30 different types for you to try... opera, explorer, netscape, mozilla and more and more ad infinitum.<br />
<br />
Don't be a sucker to these parasites, keep your money for beer on Friday or save it till you can buy beer on a Friday, failing that if that seems a long way off, keep saving it, then fly to the UK and you can buy me a beer on a Friday...<!--content-->Neat idea, but I find it much too expensive. <br />
As well as using the WC3 validator, I test my sites with various browsers, including Opera 6, Opera 7 and Konqueror 3; if it looks good with those 3, it should look good with most other browsers. Maybe not in old browsers such as NS4 or IE4, but not too many people use those anyways.<br />
<br />
May not be the most effective and accurate method, but it helps me find errors that may cause problems on certain browsers/platforms.<!--content-->NEAT IDEA... what planet are you are on... you are gonna pay someone to take screenshots for you? 15 bucks for a one off site...<br />
<br />
Hey I got some left handed screwdrivers and striped paint I need to get rid of... interested?<!--content-->heh <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.anybrowser.com">www.anybrowser.com</a><!-- w --> does it for free.<!--content-->Great... at least that is free. Seriously think about it:<br />
<br />
I want 5 pages of my site looked at, not only the splash page. I want it researched at 3 of the most common screen res's and I want it from at least 10 browsers.<br />
<br />
5*3*10=150 screen grabs.<br />
<br />
Do u really have the time to wait for 150 images to Download <!--more-->. 15$ sounds like a mugging.<!--content-->I see people aren't entitled to their own opinions here, entimp?
<!--content-->Of course they are. And your opinion is exactley that, as is mine. Don't get worked up... I just find the idea extremely crazy, I hate to see people get ripped off for good money.<br />
<br />
Remember your opinion is as equally valid as mine... I never said it wasn't. Doesn't mean I can't find it a little crazy. Most people think half my posts are crazy, especially in the lounge. No bad vibes ok.<!--content-->No hard feelings... <br />
<br />
I like the idea, but I just find it way too expensive (free would be a better price
). IE5/IE6 has a huge market share, but other browsers are slowly gaining market share (Apple's new Safari should help that even more), so I'd be interested to see what my sites look like in other browsers, as I don't have access to a Mac for testing. But I'm drifting off-topic here... <br />
<!--content-->other browsers slowly gaining, huh?? you will have to wait a few years as IE has 95% of the share, that is millions of people. I wouldn't worry about it.<!--content-->The growing popularity of Linux and Apple's new Safari browser surely will help non-IE browsers take a bigger chunk of market share (although still very small compared to IE's... I think IE will stay above 90% for quite a while yet). <br />
<br />
I know that a site that doesn't work in most browsers isn't the end of the world, but as a beginner in web design, I'm just trying to develop as many good habits as possible (I already have enough bad coding habits), and cross-browser compability is one of things I want to learn.
<!--content-->well I can see where you are coming from and I agree, so here is a secret, if you code in NS and it looks good in NS it will always run in IE.<br />
<br />
if you want compatibility then don't code for IE but code for NS<!--content-->It is a neat business idea, and caters for those people who aren't savvy enough to do it themselves, haven't got the time or resources, or who just outsource just about anything and everything. Best of luck to the guys doing that.<!--content-->Thanks for the opinions guys. This is the first time I actually got a really good discussion going! I don't drink but I will definitely save my $15 for something else, maybe a pizza. When I get time tonight I'm going to check out Scoutt's link for the free service. Thanks again. :rocker:<!--content-->Sounds good to me Derek... Just don't go put pineapple n it... that would still be a waste of $15 bucks to me. 
<!--content-->Pineapple pizza is great!<!--content-->
<br />
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.netmechanic.com/browser-index.htm">http://www.netmechanic.com/browser-index.htm</a><!-- m --><br />
<br />
Thanks.<!--content-->What a rip off! I could do this for a dollar for you. Man!!! First thing to remember is that 95% plus of all users use Explorer... the other is that if you want to check em on different platforms down load the platforms for free.<br />
<br />
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.tucows.com">www.tucows.com</a><!-- w --> has at least 30 different types for you to try... opera, explorer, netscape, mozilla and more and more ad infinitum.<br />
<br />
Don't be a sucker to these parasites, keep your money for beer on Friday or save it till you can buy beer on a Friday, failing that if that seems a long way off, keep saving it, then fly to the UK and you can buy me a beer on a Friday...<!--content-->Neat idea, but I find it much too expensive. <br />
As well as using the WC3 validator, I test my sites with various browsers, including Opera 6, Opera 7 and Konqueror 3; if it looks good with those 3, it should look good with most other browsers. Maybe not in old browsers such as NS4 or IE4, but not too many people use those anyways.<br />
<br />
May not be the most effective and accurate method, but it helps me find errors that may cause problems on certain browsers/platforms.<!--content-->NEAT IDEA... what planet are you are on... you are gonna pay someone to take screenshots for you? 15 bucks for a one off site...<br />
<br />
Hey I got some left handed screwdrivers and striped paint I need to get rid of... interested?<!--content-->heh <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.anybrowser.com">www.anybrowser.com</a><!-- w --> does it for free.<!--content-->Great... at least that is free. Seriously think about it:<br />
<br />
I want 5 pages of my site looked at, not only the splash page. I want it researched at 3 of the most common screen res's and I want it from at least 10 browsers.<br />
<br />
5*3*10=150 screen grabs.<br />
<br />
Do u really have the time to wait for 150 images to Download <!--more-->. 15$ sounds like a mugging.<!--content-->I see people aren't entitled to their own opinions here, entimp?
<!--content-->Of course they are. And your opinion is exactley that, as is mine. Don't get worked up... I just find the idea extremely crazy, I hate to see people get ripped off for good money.<br /><br />
Remember your opinion is as equally valid as mine... I never said it wasn't. Doesn't mean I can't find it a little crazy. Most people think half my posts are crazy, especially in the lounge. No bad vibes ok.<!--content-->No hard feelings... <br />
<br />
I like the idea, but I just find it way too expensive (free would be a better price
). IE5/IE6 has a huge market share, but other browsers are slowly gaining market share (Apple's new Safari should help that even more), so I'd be interested to see what my sites look like in other browsers, as I don't have access to a Mac for testing. But I'm drifting off-topic here... <br /><!--content-->other browsers slowly gaining, huh?? you will have to wait a few years as IE has 95% of the share, that is millions of people. I wouldn't worry about it.<!--content-->The growing popularity of Linux and Apple's new Safari browser surely will help non-IE browsers take a bigger chunk of market share (although still very small compared to IE's... I think IE will stay above 90% for quite a while yet). <br /><br />
I know that a site that doesn't work in most browsers isn't the end of the world, but as a beginner in web design, I'm just trying to develop as many good habits as possible (I already have enough bad coding habits), and cross-browser compability is one of things I want to learn.
<!--content-->well I can see where you are coming from and I agree, so here is a secret, if you code in NS and it looks good in NS it will always run in IE.<br /><br />
if you want compatibility then don't code for IE but code for NS<!--content-->It is a neat business idea, and caters for those people who aren't savvy enough to do it themselves, haven't got the time or resources, or who just outsource just about anything and everything. Best of luck to the guys doing that.<!--content-->Thanks for the opinions guys. This is the first time I actually got a really good discussion going! I don't drink but I will definitely save my $15 for something else, maybe a pizza. When I get time tonight I'm going to check out Scoutt's link for the free service. Thanks again.
:rocker:<!--content-->Sounds good to me Derek... Just don't go put pineapple n it... that would still be a waste of $15 bucks to me. <!--content-->Pineapple pizza is great!<!--content-->