FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac

FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (Full Version)

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yachtsman2005 -> FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 7:44:54)
One of my early sites designed in FP2003 cannot be viewed correctly by my client's customers using Macs. I cannot (so far) find anything relevant in the MS knowledge base or on the net explaining why the site looks so distorted by Mac viewers. Everything has been great (as long as viewers were using IE, that is. Can someone suggest where I go from here so I can: redo the site if need be so it can be seen, and have something informed to tell my (disturbed) client? Thanks very much!

Tailslide -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 7:50:52)
Hi Is it just Macs? What about standard compliant PC browsers such as Firefox and Opera - have you tested in those? Also - which flavour of Mac browser are you talking about - IE5.2 for the Mac is notoriously difficult. The latest Safari and FF for Macs are usually no problem - if it works in FF for PC it'll work in Safari and FF for Macs.

yachtsman2005 -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 8:10:42)
Only just now did I re-view the site in Firefox (1.06). Something is amiss there too. The fontface on default page appears dark and jagged. A key 'text-box' on the homepage does not load and is rendered as a broken image. Another site I just completed runs perfect in Firefox. I do not know which Mac OS is being used My client implied by email however that 'several' clients are having this same problem. She sent a .pdf from a user showing a really distorted page. The site has been problem free and everyone very pleased until now. However I know that I have to learn something fast to do better on this score. Help!

womble -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 8:20:54)
Can you post the url? We might have a better idea of what might be going wrong if we can see the code.

yachtsman2005 -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 8:50:03)
Thanks . . . URL is: http://www.lifeprints.com.au

Tailslide -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 8:59:35)
Hi I've checked it on the Mac in FF and Safari plus FF and Opera on the PC - I'm afraid it's mangled in all of them. Had a look at the code but it looks like something that's been imported from Word or Publisher - there's loads of Microsoft proprietory code in there - is that what happened? IE is a non-standards compliant browser - and MS proprietory code will only work properly in IE so you'll run into problems on other browsers. Apart from coding to "standards" you should always use Firefox to check your code. Code for Firefox, check in Opera and fix for IE - otherwise you'll drive yourself completely mad! I'd have to say that it might be quicker to start again with the site - make sure you get it validated at the W3C to help ensure it's standards compliant - much more likely to work cross-browser etc. Sorry I can't be more helpful!

yachtsman2005 -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 9:15:56)
You just voiced my own conclusion: I will have to go back and do the site properly from the get-go as a standards compliant site. I guess this is the time for that crash course in standards compliant design that I have been too busy troubleshooting and designing on the fly to do! Meantime, what about? http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/internetexplorer/internetexplorer.aspx?pid=internetexplorer Would internet explorer for Mac be a temporary viewing fix that would work while I get onto the learning superhighway?

Tailslide -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 9:30:11)
Do you mean for your client to view the site or for you? IE 5.2 for Mac was actually very advanced (for a MS browser) at the time. Apart from security patches etc I don't think it's been updated in ages and to my knowledge MS won't be doing a new Mac browser. What I'm trying to say is that it's old and not terribly widely used even in comparison to other "alternative" browsers. There is FF for the Mac, Opera and Safari (which is very good) so people just don't bother with IE 5.2 much. I code to "standards" etc etc and am fairly well conversant with IE 6's little jokes - so I can often produce stuff reasonably fast that works on FF, Opera, Safari on the Mac, IE 6 back to (plain style) 4. If I run into major problems it's invariably IE 5.2 Mac that causes them. No idea why, but it does things that are strange even by IE standards. I'm rambling again - sorry! My point in brief is that Mac 5.2 might be ok but it might just as easily make your life very very hard. If your site works in the latest FF and Opera then you're probably fine in Safari etc. You can used browsercam.com to check once you're in the testing phase - they have a free trial period.

yachtsman2005 -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 10:53:46)
Thanks for your patience and time! I actually meant for my client's clients (the unknown Mac users) to be able view her site, but I take your point that I need to see and test so will adopt your suggestion to write for FF & Opera then use browsercam . . . Not sure what her complaining Mac clients are specifically using; I have been trying to get more informed and organised before I reply (tomorrow am). I ran a W3C validator test and came up with 100+ errors on current problem-site (starting with DTD) so am just about to take StyleMaster course then recreate the site. Originally, client wanted site done in FP so she could edit it herself; she liked the result so much she left it alone, until this last emergence of Mac users. Thank you!

Tailslide -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 11:31:12)
No problem - sorry I couldn't offer an easier solution. You might be better not offering IE 5.2 to your client's client - just because god only knows what that'll produce. If you sign up for the browsercam trial you could always find out though... I keep meaning to install IE 5.2 on my mac - I... just.. can't.. bring... myself to!! Good luck with the rebuild!

yachtsman2005 -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 11:47:52)
Thanks for that . . . I have just finished drafting an email response briefly outlining options: 1) rebuild as standards compliant site (non-FP coding exercise); 2) 'fix' current site (complicated and costly in time, $ and sanity); or 3)work around by offering PDF-version of current website catalogue to Mac users while rebuild is in progress . . . with clear recommendation for 3). Actually I welcome this all as an occasion to undertake learning what I know I have needed to do . . . Thanks again (I shall refrain from offering Mac IE 5.2 as that is an uncontrollable outcome whereas I can manage the rebuild or even the fix if need be . . .)

Tailslide -> RE: FP2003 website cannot be viewed by Mac (8/26/2005 12:10:50)
Forgot to say - you don't have to dump FP all together - there are lots of people here who produce valid sites with it - but I think they steer away from any clever FP widgets and just use "normal" code etc.

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