News
New Version of Internet Explorer
23 August 2009
Earlier this year, Microsoft released the latest version of its web browser Internet Explorer. The new version (version 8) includes extra security features and browsing tools, but it is the potential differences in how the new browser renders web pages that are of most interest to business owners and website managers.
Internet Explorer, despite being the most ubiquitous browser, is notorious for displaying web pages according to its own rules, which are often inconsistent with recognised industry standards.
Each new browser release introduces nuances that may cause a website to display differently. Website owners have to accommodate these differences to ensure that their website displays consistently for all visitors.
Many website owners are unaware of this issue and assume that because their website looks OK on their computer, it must look OK to everyone else as well. This is not always the case.
Making a conscious effort to test your website in the new version of Internet Explorer, as well as versions 7 and 6 – which are still widely used – will give you the peace of mind of knowing that your site does display consistently in Internet Explorer. For a comprehensive browser check, you should also test your website in Firefox on a PC as well as Firefox and Safari on an Apple Mac.
