I Love Litmus
Litmus (http://www.litmusapp.com/) is a browser-testing web app for designers. It’s one of many applications whose sole purpose is to take screenshots of a given web address in various web browsers, for the purposes of testing your layout to make sure it doesn’t break.
The free version of Litmus, which is all I use (and all I need) covers IE7 and Firefox 2 – the two most popular browsers right now. This works out great for me personally, since I run Linux for design and development and therefore lack access to IE7, and since I do most design work on FF3 it’s good to have a fallback. Crossover Office has IE6 support, which I use to get that right.
There are 23 browsers total supported by the paid version, including Opera and Safari on various OSes. The paid version costs $25 for a day pass, $49 per month for an individual user, or $199 for a team of up to 10.
Sounds Pricey.
Yes it does. But what really makes Litmus stand out is its great UI and ease of use. You can plug in an address, wait a few moments while it processes, and then check your results. You can check off those browsers that do work fine, and retest only those that don’t. You also have a record of what you’ve tested before, so you don’t have to keep entering the same url – just click the button and you’re there.
The day pass is probably the best option for most people who would be reading this; just bill the $25 as a testing expense and you can make sure your page works on everything before you deliver it.
Everyone should be using some sort of browser-testing software to make sure you don’t get weird issues, and I recommend that everyone give Litmus a shot. There’s nothing to lose from the free version, and you can experience the convenience of this nice little app firsthand.