Comments on: Is Testing on a Mac Necessary? http://www.catchmyfame.com/2009/11/05/is-testing-on-a-mac-necessary/ A web designoper's journal Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:01:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: kozmonot http://www.catchmyfame.com/2009/11/05/is-testing-on-a-mac-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-5045 kozmonot Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:29:23 +0000 http://www.catchmyfame.com/?p=397#comment-5045 Great points verbatim. I agree with you about knowing the answers before the questions get asked. My problem is that sometimes I'll get clients that either don't care, or don't know about the subtle differences between how a site looks on a Mac versus a PC. Therefore is it up to me to educate them and demonstrate the issues, or do I let it slide? I'm a bit anal when it comes to design and development so I do my best (I also don't have access to a Mac) to make sure a site looks the same across systems/browsers, even if the client doesn't know what problems can arise. The problem here seems to be twofold: a) does the client understand the differences between operating systems and browsers and b) if you don't have access to say a Mac, how do you handle testing and development to acount for these differences? I've used the online testers mostly and found them to be reasonably helpful. I have yet to encounter an issue where I discovered a problem with a site on a Mac where I actually had to sit in front of one to fix it. That said, if I had the extra money I would definitely buy one for testing and my own entertainment ;) Great points verbatim. I agree with you about knowing the answers before the questions get asked. My problem is that sometimes I’ll get clients that either don’t care, or don’t know about the subtle differences between how a site looks on a Mac versus a PC. Therefore is it up to me to educate them and demonstrate the issues, or do I let it slide? I’m a bit anal when it comes to design and development so I do my best (I also don’t have access to a Mac) to make sure a site looks the same across systems/browsers, even if the client doesn’t know what problems can arise.
The problem here seems to be twofold: a) does the client understand the differences between operating systems and browsers and b) if you don’t have access to say a Mac, how do you handle testing and development to acount for these differences? I’ve used the online testers mostly and found them to be reasonably helpful. I have yet to encounter an issue where I discovered a problem with a site on a Mac where I actually had to sit in front of one to fix it. That said, if I had the extra money I would definitely buy one for testing and my own entertainment ;)

]]> By: verbatim http://www.catchmyfame.com/2009/11/05/is-testing-on-a-mac-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-5018 verbatim Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:09:45 +0000 http://www.catchmyfame.com/?p=397#comment-5018 I have both Macs and PCs at home so I can do as complete testing as possible. I sometimes come across differences that need to be addressed; slight differences in the engines, causing a quirk here or a bug there. I also do complete testing in the name of due diligence, so I will know all the possible issues before showing things to a client. Just a like lawyer, I try to know the answers before the questions get asked. Also, many clients don't understand the differences between (1) print vs. online design, (2) browsers, (3) platforms. They question the skills of the designer and/or web developer when they see things they don't understand, for example, leading / kerning issues. I once was designing an HTML email and a client asked why a particular word was breaking onto a new line when the PSD had that word on the previous line. I tried to explain about all the issues with type and with type across browsers and platforms. At first they "forced" me fix they problem. I told them, if they insisted on their solution, it would another problem somewhere else. Of course their answer was, "just make it happen." I implemented their solution and just as I predicted, they then came back complaining about this "other problem" that suddenly cropped up. Of course, I had told them about it already. They still didn't understand about type across platforms and browsers, so I created a visual case study, taking screen grabs from many combinations of email client (local apps as well as webmail clients) and platforms to show them the differences. As soon as they saw my case study, they shut up. (no apology, though, for my being correct). But at least they finally understood what I was talking about. My point is that because I had a full arsenal of tools to really show them what was going on (and understand the issues better myself). I was able to lead the conversation, rather than be dictated to some marketing girl, who still uses IE6, and has no idea how web development works. I have both Macs and PCs at home so I can do as complete testing as possible. I sometimes come across differences that need to be addressed; slight differences in the engines, causing a quirk here or a bug there.

I also do complete testing in the name of due diligence, so I will know all the possible issues before showing things to a client. Just a like lawyer, I try to know the answers before the questions get asked.

Also, many clients don’t understand the differences between (1) print vs. online design, (2) browsers, (3) platforms. They question the skills of the designer and/or web developer when they see things they don’t understand, for example, leading / kerning issues.

I once was designing an HTML email and a client asked why a particular word was breaking onto a new line when the PSD had that word on the previous line. I tried to explain about all the issues with type and with type across browsers and platforms. At first they “forced” me fix they problem. I told them, if they insisted on their solution, it would another problem somewhere else. Of course their answer was, “just make it happen.” I implemented their solution and just as I predicted, they then came back complaining about this “other problem” that suddenly cropped up. Of course, I had told them about it already.

They still didn’t understand about type across platforms and browsers, so I created a visual case study, taking screen grabs from many combinations of email client (local apps as well as webmail clients) and platforms to show them the differences. As soon as they saw my case study, they shut up. (no apology, though, for my being correct). But at least they finally understood what I was talking about.

My point is that because I had a full arsenal of tools to really show them what was going on (and understand the issues better myself). I was able to lead the conversation, rather than be dictated to some marketing girl, who still uses IE6, and has no idea how web development works.

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