What browsers do you develop to now?

[BabyJeffy]

With the recent arrival of Firefox 2.0 and Internet Explorer 7, I updated the "browser matrix" that I would aim to develop for on a regular basis "as standard" (assuming use of a doctype and validating against it):
[ul]
[li]Internet Explorer 6, 7 (Win)[/li]
[li]Netscape 8.1 (Win)[/li]
[li]Firefox 1.5, 2 (Win/Mac)[/li]
[li]Opera 8, 9 (Win/Mac)[/li]
[li]Mozilla 1.7 (Win/Mac)[/li]
[li]Safari 2.x (Mac)[/li]
[/ul]
I'm expecting that within a few months very few users will be running IE5x, so I've cast it aside - even though IE 5.5 is still in common use (almost all IE 6 CSS changes work in the same way for IE 5.5 so it's hardly a big deal). Development of Mozilla Suite ended a while back - but it's still high on the radar for browser stats (and it's pretty much a freebie if you get it right in Firefox anyway).

I develop in Firefox (Win) during the day - and find that very little effort is required to "tweak" IE 6 into submission (usually as simple as using a conditional comment to include an overriding css file). All the other browsers on the list just kind of fall off the back of good JS and CSS implementation.

I don't test on these browsers constantly, but certainly at key points of development (especially when setting up initial CSS templates).

I've been asked to support some strange combinations in recent contracts... but inevitably I find these lists do not reflect the profile of their vistor. I would be interested in hearing what others choose to support "as a standard" (rather than because of a specific request from the client).

Cheers,
Jeff

[tt]Jeff's Page @ Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/jeff/blog/

http://www.coedit.co.uk/

[/tt]

What is Javascript? FAQ216-6094

 

[xwb]

Don't forget the Unix/Linux users. Many still use the older versions of Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox.

 

[BabyJeffy]

I'm not forgetting anyone... but for regular "as a standard" development, it makes no (commercial) sense to add it unless the website you are developing for has a specific requirement (or their web log profile shows that a partiular browser combo is significant to them).

It would seem foolhardy for a site catering to linux techs to ignore such browsers - but it would make little sense for a design agency to do this (with the expectation that visitors to a design agency site would be using very different browsers and technology).

xwb, what browser "support matrix" would you develop to "as standard"?

Cheers,
Jeff

[tt]Jeff's Page @ Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/jeff/blog/

http://www.coedit.co.uk/

[/tt]

What is Javascript? FAQ216-6094

 

[Foamcow]

I'd add older versions of Safari too. I'm suprised how many people I find in design agencies that just don't run auto updates.

<honk>*:O)</honk>
Designease Ltd. - polyprop folders, ring binders and creative presentation ideas
Earl & Thompson Marketing - Marketing Agency Services in Gloucestershire

 

[feherke]

Hi

xwb is right regarding the old browsers. On Linux I still use Mozilla 1.0.1, old, buggy and slow, but I love it. On market leader operating system I use the newest FireFox, because the Mozilla suite seems to be too heavy for it.

Current testing :
[ul]
[li]Mozilla 1.0.1[/li]
[li]FireFox 2[/li]
[li]Phoenix 0.5[/li]
[li]Opera 9.2[/li]
[li]Explorer 6[/li]
[li]Konqueror 3.0.3[/li]
[li]Lynx 2.8.4rel.1[/li]
[li]Dillo 0.7.3[/li]
[/ul]
Future plan :
[ul]
[li]Explorer 7[/li]
[li]Dillo 0.8.6[/li]
[/ul]
Only wish :
[ul]
[li]iCab[/li]
[li]Safari[/li]
[li]Flock[/li]
[/ul]
As you can see, my taste is abit strange.

Feherke.

http://rootshell.be/~feherke/

 

[ChrisHunt]

I'm expecting that within a few months very few users will be running IE5x

Anybody who hasn't upgraded from IE5 to 6 in the last few years is unlikely to be spurred to upgrade by the release of IE7.

I suspect a lot of these people are using old PCs and are not even aware that they can upgrade "the internet". Of course, if they're running 95/98/Me they can't go to IE7 anyway.

Of course, there are already "very few" users running IE5x - I don't feel the need to support it any more, but I wouldn't expect any particular impact of IE7 on their numbers.

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd