In the spirit of a great debate regarding the proposed death of Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) over at the about.com Web Design Blog (article found here), I have decided to post a few useful tools for checking a website's browser compatibility. I must say that I strongly support the adoption of newer, better web browsing standards, and it is definitely time for IE6 users to upgrade.

1. MultipleIEs - Allows user to install old versions of Internet Explorer, 3.0 up to 6.0. Unfortunately, it does not work in Windows Vista. Free.
2. IE NetRenderer - A very nice online tool that will take a screen shot of the URL of your choice using IE 5.5, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0. Free.
3. BrowserShots.org - Probably the most well-known of all the cross-browser testing websites, it supports an amazing amount of browsers, browser versions, and many operating systems (Unix, Windows, Mac OS, BSD). Offers free and a priority (paid) service at $29.95/month.
4. CrossBrowserTesting.com - The most comprehensive cross-browser testing tool. Very cool how it works. Neat pay-as-you-go credit system. First 5 minutes free.
   

Have another to add to this list? Post it in a comment!

I have read many blog posts and news entries on the topic of Google's new web browser, Chrome, and much to my surprise -- the majority of them were quite negative. Google, the company that has brought so much innovation and so many extremely useful products to the world, is now being shunned for it's attempt to offer a FREE alternative to the clutches of Microsoft and its web browser, Internet Explorer.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do not detest Microsoft at all. However, in recent years IE has not really been what I would consider, a "Top Performer." IE is characteristically slower than most browsers, largely cumbersome, and plagued with frequent crashes which leave users with no way to resume their previous musings.

I must also note that I am a big fan of Mozilla's newest version of Firefox (version 3), Opera's latest release (version 9.5), and even Apple's Safari (version 3.1). I have installed all of them because they each offer something a little different. Heck, I have even installed IE8 (beta 2), though I'm not impressed with it, thus far.

It is true that Internet Explorer continues to dominate browser usage, with IE 6 and 7 combined topping the 50% mark, but with Firefox coming in second at a little over 43% (source: w3schools.com)

A side note: Many people have screamed MONOPOLY since IE was included as the default browser in the Windows operating system, but I can certainly guarantee that any other company would do the same thing. Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a company trying to offer a complete solution to the end-user.

Now where was I, ah yes...
So why has Firefox been able to gain so much ground in this "Browser Battle?" Simple. By offering better features, faster loading, quicker HTML and Javascript rendering, etc, etc. Likewise, if Google Chrome offers advantages over other browsers, why not use it? If Chrome has a quicker Javascript engine, has better support for the latest web technologies, prevents total loss of progress during crashes, and is stable to the point where crashes are unlikely to occur anyway, what's the downside?

Well, some critics seem to think that Google (with it's eyes set on global domination) has already crossed over to the "dark side," and is secretly tracking EVERYONE; reading their emails, and logging all of their movements. Though that may be true to a fraction of a degree (but strictly for personalized advertising), this new browser is a good thing.

From a web design and developer's perspective: As tedious as it may be to test sites with yet another browser in order ensure cross-browser compatibility, it seems like a small price to pay for better web standards. Plus, a move like this will certainly push competing web browser developers to adopt better standards.

Any new browsers that promote strict standards, increase efficiencies, and force competition to adopt better practices...has my vote! It is also certainly worth mentioning that Chrome is also 100% open-source, which will undoubtedly promote new feature developments.

So, my initial inspection of Google Chrome yields very positive results: quick, clean, and intuitive is a great way to go. Now, let us see what becomes of it.