Three Additions that would make Adobe’s BrowserLab Incredible
Just as I was finishing a site today, I needed to do the task I dread the most, fire up Internet Explorer. As you may or may not know I have recently jumped the PC ship for a Mac. Huge improvement, but that’s for another post.
I have always struggled with finding a way to test in all browsers. Additionally, I never have been a big fan of setting up virtual environments just for browser testing.
I used to use BrowserShots, and anyone who has used the site knows it’s a great service, but it’s not optimal. I had signed up for a free account on for Adobe’s BrowserLab a while back, but had forgotten about it. That was a mistake, this is a great service.
While it is a great service and allows you to view your site in IE 6 & 7, Firefox 3.0, and Safari 3.0, there are some pitfalls.
- A user should be able to update the site and refresh only the browsers they are concerned about. When you reload your test you have to reload four browser versions. You can create a browser set with only the browsers you want, but for some reason it isn’t any faster.
- It would be extremely powerful as a plugin or stand alone app. Currently I have to test a live site. I would prefer to test a local site. Maybe an AIR app that can run off of localhost, or Firefox plugin?
- The ability to inspect the elements on the page. Take that one step further and edit them in real time ala Firebug.
These additions would take this app to wow status in a hurry. I for one would pay for it. If I can load several browsers that aren’t on my machine with a local site, inspect, and edit it, I’m sold.
There may even be an app out there that does this already. If there is, let me know. I want it!
