Browsers and Browser Compatibility

From Web Development

Browsers are computer programs that allow users to view web sites. Currently, the following browsers are in popular use within the Mason Community:

• 
  Internet Explorer 6 and 7 (Windows)
• Firefox 2 (Windows / Mac / Linux)
• Safari 3 (Windows / Mac)
• Netscape 7.2+ (Windows / Mac / Linux)
• Seamonkey (Mozilla) 1.8+ (Windows / Mac / Linux)
• Opera 9 (Windows / Mac / Linux)

Compatibility

When designing a site, it's important to ensure your web site works and displays properly across a wide swath of browsers.

Internet Explorer 6 is one of the worst offenders, particularly with sites that follow web standards and use CSS for layout. Here are some resources for dealing with the more common bugs in IE:

• CSS Browser Compatibility
• Explorer Exposed - A listing of common bugs and workarounds
• Conditional Comments - The best way to serve IE-specific CSS and Javascript

Testing Resources

• Multiple Versions of Internet Explorer on One PC
• Parallels and VMWare - Install Windows on Mac OS X