Google Chrome continues to be the most used Web browser worldwide and given Google’s recent Chromebook push, it doesn’t look like that will change. So naturally, Web designers have to put Google’s latest Chrome version on the top of their list when it comes to website testing with Mozilla Firefox as a common second. But you have to remember that not all online users are using PCs and laptops nowadays making responsive Web design even more important.
Let’s start with the mobile device which boasts more than 80% of tablet Web usage – the iPad. For those of you that never used one, the iPad comes with a mobile version of Safari and it uses the WebKit engine, the same engine Google Chrome uses. This means that virtually all sites that look fine on Google Chrome should work well in Safari too. However, all of the latest iPad and iPad Mini models feature Retina displays. The extra high screen resolutions of these tablets may make certain websites look ugly unless you apply some fixes. Therefore, getting even the cheapest Wi-Fi model of the iPad Mini is recommended if you want to make sure your websites show up correctly on Apple’s tablets.
Then you might want to consider all the people using MacBooks with Retina displays too. Fortunately, OS X users can fire up Xcode and download the Graphics Tools for Xcode package. This package includes a tool called Quartz Debug which you can use to make your Mac emulate a high-res display. Once you finished testing, you should be in the clear although it certainly won’t hurt to test your site in the numerous Web browsers for Android as well.