New Hosted Service Accelerates Website Design With Cross-Browser and OS Compatibility Testing


Adobe Systems unveiled a free preview of Adobe BrowserLab, a new hosted service that enables Web designers to quickly view and test their sites on a wide variety of browsers and operating systems. Compatibility testing lets web designers standardize designs across browsers in a matter of minutes, saving time and effort and helping ensure brand continuity. BrowserLab provides real-time accurate screenshots of browser renderings and includes multiple viewing and diagnostic tools to help designers pinpoint compatibility issues that can compromise the design and layout integrity of a Web site or page.

The initial set of browsers that are supported include Windows® Internet Explorer® 6.x and 7.x; Firefox® 2.x and 3.x; and Safari® 3.x. This capability is enabled by virtualization technology, hosted through a cloud-based application, which eliminates the need to have browsers installed on a system before testing a site. Adobe BrowserLab lets designers compare and contrast browsers via an interface that works on any Adobe Flash Player 10® enabled operating system, making it compatible with Mac and Windows.



In addition, designers can view two screenshots from different browsers side-by-side, or they can use the “onion skin mode” to overlay screenshots on top of one another with variable opacity. There is also a zoom function to help zero-in on bugs. Testing preferences can be customized and saved with Browser Sets, for designers who work with specific platforms. While Adobe BrowserLab can be used by any Web designer it provides Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS4 users extended capabilities to also test Flash technology-based and interactive site elements, including dynamic widgets, rollover effects and AJAX driven content. The direct integration with Dreamweaver CS4 streamlines workflows and allows designers to preview both local and remote Web content without the worry of firewalls or publicly posting confidential client projects.

To access the BrowserLab Web site and take advantage of the service users must run: Microsoft® Windows® XP (SP2 Home & Professional or SP3), Windows Vista® or Mac OS X (version10.4 or later); Adobe Flash Player 10; as well as a modern browser such as Firefox version 3 or later, Safari version 3 or later and Internet Explorer 6 or 7. For additional information or to access Adobe BrowserLab, visit http://browserlab.adobe.com/.

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