What does thinkpads.com look like to you?

[leoblob]

I've been using Firefox for a while. Today, I am using IE 6 for the first time in several months, and I am realizing that this forum looks quite different between the browsers. With IE 6, top of each page has "thinkpads.com Support Community" in a sans serif font (like Arial), with a blue box around the top of the screen.

With Firefox, the font is serif (like Times Roman), and the box is completely different... it has two colors... it looks somewhat 3-dimensional... maybe black and grey? (I'm color blind)

I'm really surprised that the two browser programs render the same page so completely different. What are you seeing...??

[ramian]

never actually noticed that. I get the 3D box in Opera, but the title "thinkpads.com Support Community" is the same as it is in IE6 (Arial). I do get the blue box in IE6 as well.

[Thinkpaddict]

These inconsistencies between browsers have always been around to some extent, from the times of Netscape and Internet Explorer rivalry.
A browser is just an interpreter of internet documents, and interpretations can vary amongst browsers. Then, you get CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) involved, and it is a whole new nightmare of inconsistency, with different browsers supporting different sets of CSS functionality. IE is notorious for having bad support for CSS.

[no_man]

... a discount store.

[leoblob]

These inconsistencies between browsers have always been around to some extent, from the times of Netscape and Internet Explorer rivalry.
A browser is just an interpreter of internet documents, and interpretations can vary amongst browsers. Then, you get CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) involved, and it is a whole new nightmare of inconsistency, with different browsers supporting different sets of CSS functionality. IE is notorious for having bad support for CSS.

Wow, I had no idea that the differences could be that great.

[jdhurst]

Which is why I use IE, keep it patched, use it safely, and to hell with the rest of the browsers. They can't keep up in my opinion, they just shoot their collective mouths off. Sorry for the rant, but I have zero problems with IE, and *everything* just works. I have no time or patience to be a beta tester for the rest of them.
... JD Hurst

[mfratt]

This is why being a web designer sucks. I make a page, get the css all nice and clean, the page looks awesome. But, oops, I forgot to check it in IE before I upload it. Then, when I realize that IE's complete disregard for web standards has butchered my css, I need to go back and "fix" my css to be non-standards compliant to work with IE, sometimes having to use two different css pages, one for IE, and one for everything else. On my personal pages (blogs and stuff) I just say screw IE, but I also do web pages for companies that require IE compadibility, so it needs to work. Apparently, MS is fixing this problem in IE7, but we'll see.

The best was to check compadibility is the Acid2 Test ( http://www.webstandards.org/files/acid2/test.html ). IE is laughable, Firefox is much better, but not perfect. Konqueror passes it, and (I think) Opera.

I feel like attacking jdhurst, but thou shalst not offend thine admin

[jdhurst]

<snip>
I feel like attacking jdhurst, but thou shalst not offend thine admin

Please say what you wish - no problem

My point of view comes from cleaning up client machines where other browsers have been installed, and then the client cannot do a, b, or c when it all works with IE.

I understand the standards debate, and I understand that Microsoft doesn't adhere to some standards, but it is just simpler for me to use IE.

Maybe someday, this will all work better. /me sighs
... JD Hurst

[Torque]

Yes, FF renders the page differently.

Thinkpads.com looks fine here, anyways. IE sort out some of the "mishaps" when coding. I still use FireFox, though. No worries, as long as people code to the W3C standards. And even so, it poses no real difference. Only place I'm in trouble is when managing bank accounts from home. There, I use the IEtab plugin which opens an IE tab inside Firefox.

[ramian]

Which is why I use IE, keep it patched, use it safely, and to hell with the rest of the browsers. They can't keep up in my opinion, they just shoot their collective mouths off. Sorry for the rant, but I have zero problems with IE, and *everything* just works. I have no time or patience to be a beta tester for the rest of them.
... JD Hurst

I too have zero problems with IE... the reason I use Opera is because it just is so configurable (without having to search for extension after extension everytime there is an update ).

[GomJabbar]

The best was to check compadibility is the Acid2 Test ( http://www.webstandards.org/files/acid2/test.html ). IE is laughable, Firefox is much better, but not perfect. Konqueror passes it, and (I think) Opera.

I just tried the acid test in Opera 9.01 public in the Windows Vista beta 2 OS. Passed with flying colors.

I do have a problem with no sound in Macromedia Flash videos (in the Vista OS). I read in the Opera forum that it now works in a newer build of Windows Vista beta 2. Unfortunately I do not have access to the newer builds.

EDIT: It just occurred to me to try the acid test in IE 7 beta with Vista. It passed with flying colors also.

[dannyp]

Looks like the mods need to get together and spend some time on the thinkpads.com page. Honestly this forum rules but the front page looks so gimmicky.

Should more accurately depict the quality of this forum!

[leoblob]

Looks like the mods need to get together and spend some time on the thinkpads.com page. Honestly this forum rules but the front page looks so gimmicky.

Should more accurately depict the quality of this forum!

Man, this is not at all what I was intending for this post. IMO, feedback of this type is most politely handled via a PM to one of the Mods/Admins.

[dannyp]

Man, this is not at all what I was intending for this post. IMO, feedback of this type is most politely handled via a PM to one of the Mods/Admins.

I don't know what's not polite about it, unless you're thinking it's more horrible than I am.

I just mean that it doesn't match the quality of the content here on the forums, and that it should. I know you were talking about the browsers and compatability of sites, I still think it falls under the topic heading of this thread though.

[JaneL]

The forum mods and admins (other than Bill, himself) have nothing to do with thinkpads.com. We only exist here in the forum.

Bill's quirky site has been that way for years and is viewed fondly by many of us who have been Bill's friends and customers for so long. I personally still miss the trail of birds that used to follow my cursor all over the page.

Then, again, I wanted a set of private newsgroups rather than a web forum.

[dannyp]

The forum mods and admins (other than Bill, himself) have nothing to do with thinkpads.com. We only exist here in the forum.

Bill's quirky site has been that way for years and is viewed fondly by many of us who have been Bill's friends and customers for so long. I personally still miss the trail of birds that used to follow my cursor all over the page.

Then, again, I wanted a set of private newsgroups rather than a web forum.

Cool I see, I thought it was a group effort running the entire site. Thanks for the bit of history.

[archer6]

What does thinkpads.com look like to you?

Fantastic I say...

That we have so many choices of browsers etc. is terrific. The overall vast opportunity for customizing our PC's is what it's all about. I'm not here looking for a pretty site or perfect appearance (highly personal opinion) , I'm here for the content and value of the community in sharing our experiences and learning about the nuances of the ThinkPad.

Thanks to Bill, and everyone that make this possible....