Testing, Testing

 If I want to test my webpage with Internet Explorer, is there a way to  do  that if I work on a Mac?

Internet Explorer is not being supported on the Mac anymore; which you probably know.

    Beyond testing ... or at least validating ... your code within Dreamweaver, you can upload your files to a server and check them out online. You'll still need to be looking at it ON a PC.

    In my experience, Macs can read PC disks/media while PCs or Windows machines cannot read Mac-formatted media. So, you could get a PC flash drive, which your Mac should recognize, and put your files on it. Then carry it to a PC and check the page out in IE. (This is what we would now call a "sneaker net"...presuming that you are wearing the sneakers)

    I found something called "browsershots": http://browsershots.org/ which will show your page in tons of browsers, but it requires that the site/page be online.

    Also, http://www.thesitewizard.com/webdesign/multiplebrowsers.shtml

It seems, though, that some of those sites take only a snapshot, which makes it difficult to actually test function...beyond look...

Best way seems to be actually looking at it with a windows machine.

Ironic, isn't it, that Mac is a great developing environment, but most of the world uses Windows*. Dust off that corner of the desk and install a PC. Or grab one out of your neighbor's attic. PC users upgrade frequently, and you might find one cheap on Craigslist.

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

At this w3schools site, you can also find statistics

• by OS (operating system) platform
• display resolution and color depth
• statistics and descriptions of different IE versions
• Netscape, Mozilla (which is not a browser)
• Firefox
• Opera
• Chrome. 

Other browsers apparently sport such low usage numbers that they are not treated. The Browser home page (http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/default.asp) describes each browser generally.

This is a good page/site to get to know. It will help you when you are deciding what size 'viewport' you want to be working within.

Keep your software up to date

If the software you own has an "automatic update" feature, make sure that's turned on. 

You will find that having the latest version of as many browsers as you can manage, as well as the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, Flash Player, and so forth, will make your job as a web designer much easier. All these programs are free, so there's no economic argument against having them.

Although it is (of course!) possible to test browser compatibility right inside Dreamweaver, SEEING what your work looks like in different browsers is priceless. It can be very disheartening for a client or associate to tell you that your site breaks on their browser.

I run Chrome (a Google browser) most of the time, and also use FireFox, Internet Explorer, Safari (also available for Windows!), and Opera. If you know which browser your clients use, you NEED to test in that browser.

Often, programs like Adobe Acrobat Reader develop innovative ways of working...the latest version of Acrobat Reader uses a 'portfolio' concept, where many .pdf files are cataloged under a group name. That is the technique they have used on the Adobe Certification files. When you download one of the Adobe files from the class page on my website, you may get the message that you need to upgrade. Don't mess around: do it NOW! You'll be glad you did.

If you are creating sites that will have a general audience, you will discover that W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) keeps track of browser usage....that is, they can tell you the trend in who is using what browser. For instance, what percentage of IE6 users have moved to IE7. Of course, they are not actually tracking individual users, but the trends are good to notice. You will want to make SURE your sites and pages work in Internet Explorer and Firefox, at the very least.

For my personal use, I like the Chrome browser, as it is very fast and has some nice features. Because it is a Google product, it IS a search engine, and does not need a secondary search toolbar. Plus (if you are old enough to remember...) the Chrome logo looks like Simon.