I'm discovering just how difficult it can be to accomplish the resizing. ... The problems I've encountered have workarounds that just require a little education and effort. ... Hopefully I'll have the jablet site updated soon to show what's possible.
Hope you'll write up something that tells people what things work (and what things don't) when they try to make websites work for IE, for Firefox and others, and for 800x480 (that's UMPC's format as well as NIT's).
Welcome to the hell that is web development, all thanks to Microsoft.
Simple client checks can be useful for throwing one page at IE and another at real browsers.
Yeah, I've got some good examples. The javascript runs on IE but is ignored by the tablet browser, so it can be turned off there.
I don't want to piss off IE users, so I intend to accomodate its idiosyncracies. Indeed, making the site render well in IE will be good tablet publicity.
And to Roger: good point. The code of course will be made easily available, and I'll comment where I can.
I've been designing in html for many years, but css is new so I'm still learning (hence the delays in updating the site). PHP is another one I have to learn. But I'm getting there...
Welcome to the hell that is web development, all thanks to Microsoft.
Indeed! Amen brother!
My 2cents: As the number of mobile (ie smaller) devices approaches the number of pcs, we'll be able to abandon support for old IE and focus developing clean web sites/apps using CSS and PHP. Ok I'm dreamin, but the goal is still the same. At the very least, IE support could be secondary, as in, 'well, if it doesn't work right on IE, that's ok. At least it works right on the IT
ARJ, I'm discovering just how difficult it can be to accomplish the resizing. I am using the site www.jablet.net as a testbed and example for what's possible. The goal is to avoid the ITs having to use javascript, and utilizing CSS and PHP as much as possible. The problems aren't with the tablets-- they render the CSS very well! Nope, the issues are with anyone running Internet Explorer on a PC and viewing the site: IE, even version 7, is allergic to strict and full CSS.
BUT-- tablet-friendly sites should still be a goal, IMO. The problems I've encountered have workarounds that just require a little education and effort. I would expect seasoned website designers to handle that. Hopefully I'll have the jablet site updated soon to show what's possible... most of the work I've done has not yet been incorporated.
I am with you here, and the hell that you are experiencing is my day job, so I know it all too well.
Nevertheless, I figured that I would try my hand at things as well. Because I am faily certain that as MIDs gain in popularity, and the inevitible uptick of an iPhone with higher resolution coming at some point, that there would need to be some kind of solution that works. I am working on a skin for my personal site, and hopefully I will be able to figure out a few things that might help out along the way.
From my point of view, and experience, a style sheet switcher in javascript and a well done set of styles should be just fine. That's what I use and it works just fine. The kicker will be just making sure that the right content appears whatsoever the device. That part is just semantic and fun.
Texrat, also don't test on IE. Build your sites correct (test in FireFox) and then you will have only minor fixes to do for IE, rather than building for IE and having major fixes for everything else.
Texrat, also don't test on IE. Build your sites correct (test in FireFox) and then you will have only minor fixes to do for IE, rather than building for IE and having major fixes for everything else.
I don't. I test on the tablets, first and foremost... then see what isn't working on IE, et al. Fortunately, though, a lot of the guesswork has already been put to bed by many CSS experts kind enough to share.
