Make site compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE)

A big challenge for us Mac Web Developers is make our site work on IE

[cosmoyoda]

It's hard for those that are working on an Intel Mac to test our site on IE. Everytime I have to check if it works on IE, I have to switch to Windows XP ( I use Boot Camp) and test our site in that browser. However, that's very frustrating and we have to logout all the time we want to see if it works on Windows.

Do you guys know another way to make sure our Website's JavaScripts, CSS and HTML will work on IE without switching to Windows all of the time?

[sonjay]

Parallels or VMWare will allow you to run your Windows installation simultaneously with your OSX system -- no logging out and rebooting, just launch Explorer and test away.

(Mods, I hope these references are allowed. They're really the only 2 sources for this type of program.)

[cosmoyoda]

I've tried Parallels before. Never tried VMWare, but thats a great idea. Thanks for the suggestion.

[cosmoyoda]

By the way, Parallels never worked for me, because it's not really compatible with my Intel Mac.

[sonjay]

Parallels works fine on my Intel Mac (I hear they're being called ICBMs, Intel Chip Based Macs). You might need to make sure you're using the latest version, if you want to give it another go.

I haven't tried VMWare, but it's supposed to do basically what Parallels does, and for about the same price. I believe there are only minor differences between the two programs, so it's pretty much a matter of personal preference.

When I considered BootCamp for free -- but having to reboot every time I wanted to use it -- vs. a commercial program that would let me use Windows while booted into OSX, for me it was a no-brainer decision.

I find it to have been a smart decision. Before I got the ICBM, I was testing on a separate PC, and I find that I'm much more consistent now about checking pages in Exploder when it's a matter of simply clicking the icon in my Dock.

[cosmoyoda]

sonjay, I agree with what you said.

And thanks for the tip, I will give Parallels another try...

[timster]

Two solutions beyond those already mentioned are:

1. CrossOver lets you run Windows apps without running Windows, similar to WINE. It looks like it currently supports MSIE 6 but not 7.

I haven't heard anything either way about whether MSIE renders exactly the same under CrossOver and Windows, but it would definitely be quicker for spot checks than Boot Camp.

2. There are subscription internet services which will allow you to test various browsers. Search for: browser compatibility

[cosmoyoda]

Cool, I didn't know CrossOver I'll take a look. Thanks for the help, timster.

[SilverLining]

cosmoyoda, I use "Remote Desktop Connection", which works great if you have a (spare) Windows server you can connect to.

How come Parallels is not compatible with your Intel Mac?

[Hester]

Parallels also lets you test in Linux.

[galaxy300]

You can install IE on an Intel Mac without booting Windows. I discovered
this article [tuaw.com] on TUAW a few weeks ago, and it absolutely works! In my experience, IE6 is preferable to IE7, but it is very handy and has cut the amount of time I spend in Parallels in half.

In addition, I would recommend Browsershots.org [browsershots.org] for free, screenshot-based testing.