Thread

Internet Explorer 8 has been released.  Love it or hate it, as web developers we all have to deal with it.

Which of the following 3 categories do you fit in?

1. “Hey, Micro$oft released another IE!  Must be great!  I’ve gotta have it!” then proceeded to download it on the fastest internet connection you could muster.

2. “I better avoid it like the plague. It will be full of bugs, and prone to constant crashing just because it’s from that Micro$oft company.”

3. “Oh, great.  One more browser I have to test for compatibility with.”  Then proceeded to download it so you can provide your clients with the best service, even though you will always only run Firefox, Opera, or Safari for your own personal needs.

Personally, I fit into the 3rd category.

As I prefer to be able to test my sites using IE6, 7 (and now 8) as well as Firefox 2 & 3, and Opera, etc, etc, and you can’t have multiple versions very easily on the same machine without uninstalling/reinstalling and I refuse to go through that hassle, I recommend you try VirtualBox by Sun.  It runs on Windows/Linux/Mac/Solaris and does an awesome job.  I have multiple Windows “boxes” (and multiple versions of Windows for other types of software testing) to run the different versions of browsers, and you can run these Windows boxes under Linux!  Or under a Mac!  I also have multiple Linux boxes.  I don’t have a Mac OS, but if I was ready to plop down the cash for it, I’d be running that as well. 

So, where do you fit in?

Number 3

* Installing a new virtual machine on parallels desktop =(

4. “Oh, bad! One more browser I have to test for compatibility with.”  Then proceeded to rant and search for a way to install it on one of the two crappy PCs I use for testing IE6 and IE7 without canceling the previous.
But given the rate of average IE users updating their IE versions, I think I will really need to test IE8 around 2011/12… 😉

Bye,
Andreagam

3!  :sick:

4. “Oh, bad! One more browser I have to test for compatibility with.”  Then proceeded to rant and search for a way to install it on one of the two crappy PCs I use for testing IE6 and IE7 without canceling the previous.
But given the rate of average IE users updating their IE versions, I think I will really need to test IE8 around 2011/12… 😉

Bye,
Andreagam

depending on how crappy your two systems are you can consider installing VMWare Virtual server (it’s free) and installing windows on one of them and setting up virtual machines that way.

Or you can get M$ virtual PC and download the free VM images from M$ (these expire every 4 months or so, but are replaced with newer and up to date images).
Virtual Machines from M$

I’ve been doing a combination of those for a couple years now.

Personally, I’m in the #3/4 category… and my opinion of IE is:  wtf are they even bothering? but i guess they have to since they spent all that money fighting that monopoly case back in ‘94/5/6

I would expect the vast majority of us here to fall into category 3.

Here’s to hoping they perfected that “IE7 mode” meta data switch. Anyone heard any more on that?

depending on how crappy your two systems are you can consider installing VMWare Virtual server (it’s free) and installing windows on one of them and setting up virtual machines that way.

Or you can get M$ virtual PC and download the free VM images from M$ (these expire every 4 months or so, but are replaced with newer and up to date images).
Virtual Machines from M$

I’ve been doing a combination of those for a couple years now.

I’ve tried both of those, and find the Virtual Machines to run rather sluggishly.  I recommend Sun’s VirtualBox, which runs much faster with less issues, and has Guest Additions which give you more power for use with each of the machines.  I’ve tried “virtually” every virtual machine out there, and have come back to VirtualBox as I have been unable to find anything else that performs as well or that has as many features.

I’m just glad I don’t have to “choose” which program to install, since I can have all the versions this way.

alarm bells started ringing when I read this -

If you’re looking at a page and the text or images aren’t lined up right, just use the new Compatibility View button next to the Refresh button on the Address Bar.

I downloaded it anyway, it scores a dismal 20 points on the Acid 3 test.

depending on how crappy your two systems are you can consider installing VMWare Virtual server (it’s free) and installing windows on one of them and setting up virtual machines that way.

Or you can get M$ virtual PC and download the free VM images from M$ (these expire every 4 months or so, but are replaced with newer and up to date images).
Virtual Machines from M$

I’ve been doing a combination of those for a couple years now.

I’ve tried both of those, and find the Virtual Machines to run rather sluggishly.  I recommend Sun’s VirtualBox, which runs much faster with less issues, and has Guest Additions which give you more power for use with each of the machines.  I’ve tried “virtually” every virtual machine out there, and have come back to VirtualBox as I have been unable to find anything else that performs as well or that has as many features.

I’m just glad I don’t have to “choose” which program to install, since I can have all the versions this way.

have not heard of VirtualBox - browsing now…

Also, the reason I mention the VPC option is because the images from MS don’t need to be activated or suck up one of your own windows licenses.

thanks for the info.

Thanks for the suggestions. I particularly like Daniel Moore’s Virtual Box by Sun. I will have a read…
So, VB is free, and you only need the license to install XP or Vista? Then you can have different boxes with IE6, IE7 and IE8?
That would be a very nice solution.

BTW, I’m on Mac OS (Leopard)

Thanks for the suggestions. I particularly like Daniel Moore’s Virtual Box by Sun. I will have a read…
So, VB is free, and you only need the license to install XP or Vista? Then you can have different boxes with IE6, IE7 and IE8?
That would be a very nice solution.

BTW, I’m on Mac OS (Leopard)

yup… just remember that you’ll need a license for all three installations (if you want to remain legal that is—and all 3 will need to be activated by MS or die after 30 days) and i recommend you download the network service pack 3 updater to make getting those installations up to date quicker (one big download vs 300 or so)—these are the main reasons I suggested the VPC solution earlier.

Is the license for the OS, one “licensed copy per machine?”  If so, it’s all on one physical machine.  I’ll have to check that and see.  I set up and configured my old copy of XP on my first VirtualBox, then did a “virtual drive copy” to make several hard drives containing a basic “fresh install” of an “activated” XP.  Then I just set up a few more VirtualBoxes, each pointing to a separate “virtual hard drive”.  One got IE6, one gets IE7, and the other IE8. 

I suppose I’ll have to check the legality of it.  I have the legal copy, and only need to run one instance at a time.  It’s easier to set up multiple copies of Linux.  No worries over license issues.

I just know I don’t want to be downloading a new “image” every few months, nor do I want my “images” expiring, because I’ve already got them set up the way I need them for testing.

Another thing with VirtualBox is the ability to take a “Snapshot” of your current system and hard drive state.  After installing programs, you can “revert” back to that snapshot, and it is just as if you never installed it.  I always keep a snapshot of the “clean install” and then a snapshot of the OS after I have the software installed on it I know I will be using.  That way, I can always reset it and go again in case I mess something up.  Safer to download certain files from the internet that way as well, in case you come across a virus.

Is the license for the OS, one “licensed copy per machine?”  If so, it’s all on one physical machine.  I’ll have to check that and see.  I set up and configured my old copy of XP on my first VirtualBox, then did a “virtual drive copy” to make several hard drives containing a basic “fresh install” of an “activated” XP.  Then I just set up a few more VirtualBoxes, each pointing to a separate “virtual hard drive”.  One got IE6, one gets IE7, and the other IE8. 

I suppose I’ll have to check the legality of it.  I have the legal copy, and only need to run one instance at a time.  It’s easier to set up multiple copies of Linux.  No worries over license issues.

I just know I don’t want to be downloading a new “image” every few months, nor do I want my “images” expiring, because I’ve already got them set up the way I need them for testing.

Another thing with VirtualBox is the ability to take a “Snapshot” of your current system and hard drive state.  After installing programs, you can “revert” back to that snapshot, and it is just as if you never installed it.  I always keep a snapshot of the “clean install” and then a snapshot of the OS after I have the software installed on it I know I will be using.  That way, I can always reset it and go again in case I mess something up.  Safer to download certain files from the internet that way as well, in case you come across a virus.

Not sure of the licensing.  It’s been a while since I had to call in and activate a license.

I agree that downloading a new image every few months does suck.  I wasn’t trying to say that what I suggested was the only way or even the best way.  Just *a* way of making testing easier—especially if someone doesn’t have an extra license or 3, etc, or in the case of some mac users a XP license at all.

VMWare and VPC have the same rollback ability.

And yes, downloading those certain files on a Virtual Machine is wiser especially after you disconnect the guest networking.

Daniel, thanks for the tips.
I think I’ll try that way. Finger crossed.

Andreagam

Internet Explorer 8 has been released.  Love it or hate it, as web developers we all have to deal with it.

Which of the following 3 categories do you fit in?

1. “Hey, Micro$oft released another IE!  Must be great!  I’ve gotta have it!” then proceeded to download it on the fastest internet connection you could muster.

2. “I better avoid it like the plague. It will be full of bugs, and prone to constant crashing just because it’s from that Micro$oft company.”

3. “Oh, great.  One more browser I have to test for compatibility with.”  Then proceeded to download it so you can provide your clients with the best service, even though you will always only run Firefox, Opera, or Safari for your own personal needs.

Personally, I fit into the 3rd category.

As I prefer to be able to test my sites using IE6, 7 (and now 8) as well as Firefox 2 & 3, and Opera, etc, etc, and you can’t have multiple versions very easily on the same machine without uninstalling/reinstalling and I refuse to go through that hassle, I recommend you try VirtualBox by Sun.  It runs on Windows/Linux/Mac/Solaris and does an awesome job.  I have multiple Windows “boxes” (and multiple versions of Windows for other types of software testing) to run the different versions of browsers, and you can run these Windows boxes under Linux!  Or under a Mac!  I also have multiple Linux boxes.  I don’t have a Mac OS, but if I was ready to plop down the cash for it, I’d be running that as well. 

So, where do you fit in?

Hmm… Number 3 but sometimes after a looong day:

4.) Oh great! I can’t take it any more! Than, suddenly I found myself inside of MS, allocating boss with method called punchIt() and additional attributes like NOW lol.

So, Number 3 && 4 lol.