PC->MAC Web Dev Questions

[NightWolfe]

I'm a front end web developer ... html/css/js/php ... I've always worked on windows based machines, however my work is switching us over to Macs ... I'm familiar with OSX so that's fine ...

My question however is what about testing for cross site compatibility?

Currently we shoot for IE8/9, FF, Chrome, Opera & Safari

I believe I can get FF, Chrome Opera & Safari for OSX, but do sites display the same in them on Mac as they would on a PC?

Is IE8/9 available for OSX?

We are getting Parallels and Win7 so I could switch over to check, but I would rather not have to run it in unison if I do not have to

Anything I haven't thought of from a developer perspective that I should be cautious of?

Thanks in advance!

 

[PTNL]

What browser(s) are your customers using? (If the answer is "I don't know", then consider gathering these kinds of metrics and others with a web analytics package.)
What hardware/software is the production host using?
Are you targeting Apache or IIS as the host environment?
Are you using source control?
Are you avoiding problematic characters in filenames and paths?
Are you consistent with writing case-sensitive Urls within your app?
Who is responsible for testing the web application?
Do you have separate environments for development and user testing?

 

[adam30k]

Running virtual machines is easier then you think. You don't need to logoff or reboot your computer everything runs in a window. You can even suspend the virtual machine instead of rebooting it so you have instant access to it.

Microsoft has stopped developing IE for Mac in 2006 and tells people to use Safari.

 

[ann0yanc3]

use virtual machines for running IE 8/9, one for each browser. firefox has some ever so slight differences on PC/mac. best to have a PC version installed to make sure.

 

[NightWolfe]

What browser(s) are your customers using? (If the answer is "I don't know", then consider gathering these kinds of metrics and others with a web analytics package.)
What hardware/software is the production host using?
Are you targeting Apache or IIS as the host environment?
Are you using source control?
Are you avoiding problematic characters in filenames and paths?
Are you consistent with writing case-sensitive Urls within your app?
Who is responsible for testing the web application?
Do you have separate environments for development and user testing?

I appreciate the thought that was put into this but it's overkill for what is happening ... our server enviroments are not changing just our workstations ... I'm most concerned with how sites display in FireFox PC vs FireFox Mac, and all other browsers

use virtual machines for running IE 8/9, one for each browser. firefox has some ever so slight differences on PC/mac. best to have a PC version installed to make sure.

Thanks man ... that's basically what I was thinking

 

[PTNL]

I appreciate the thought that was put into this but it's overkill for what is happening ... our server enviroments are not changing just our workstations ... I'm most concerned with how sites display in FireFox PC vs FireFox Mac, and all other browsers

That's fine.

Though several of my questions were in regards to this part of your post:

Anything I haven't thought of from a developer perspective that I should be cautious of?

 

[NightWolfe]

That's fine.

Though several of my questions were in regards to this part of your post:

I know man .. it is appreciated

 

[MrGuvernment]

why are they switching you over, sounds like a poorly researched decision with the old "tale" that Apple's are better for design work.....

Parallels anda VM would work best, or tell them to keep around a PC with some VM's running various OS on it...

 

[NightWolfe]

why are they switching you over, sounds like a poorly researched decision with the old "tale" that Apple's are better for design work.....

Parallels anda VM would work best, or tell them to keep around a PC with some VM's running various OS on it...

VP "always wanted macs" so she basically went ahead and did it without consulting everyone ... I specced out Alien Wares with better specs that could have saved us a few grand but oh well ... at least we are getting new computers :/

 

[MrGuvernment]

that sucks.. can i have the VP's email to let him know he is a tool ?

this is one time that IT should of stepped in and said something

 

[kencheeto]

https://github.com/xdissent/ievms - I use these for testing IE7/8/9 on osx, as the others are available natively.

I don't see how anything else changes from a browser compat standpoint.. you still have to test on as many browsers as you officially support, regardless of your development environment.

 

[ShoeLace]

Macs are ideal for doing both design and development together. You have access to photoshop and illustrator along with a package manager + terminal + semi-familiar setup that you'll be working from on your real server without having to resort to using a VM.

Pretty solid combo IMO. I'm not a mac fan boy either, I actually run windows + a linux VM and while it's ok, it's just an unnecessary step I have to take to get the best of both worlds.

 

[NightWolfe]

that sucks.. can i have the VP's email to let him know he is a tool ?

this is one time that IT should of stepped in and said something

I hear ya haha

https://github.com/xdissent/ievms - I use these for testing IE7/8/9 on osx, as the others are available natively.

I don't see how anything else changes from a browser compat standpoint.. you still have to test on as many browsers as you officially support, regardless of your development environment.

Thanks man ... I'll check it out