Recommendation 18.1.1 Operating systems and device types for sites to work on
New standards released
The New Zealand Web Standards 2.0 were released in March 2009 and replace the previous version, the New Zealand Government Web Standards 1.0 (below). See Meeting the standards for more information.
The Recommendation
Recommendation 18.1.1 Operating systems and device types for sites to work on. To ensure a high likelihood that your web site “works satisfactorily”, the suggested minimal set of browser and their respective versions, combined with operating systems and their respective versions, is:
- Internet Explorer 5.5, on Windows 2000
- Internet Explorer 6.0, on Windows XP
- Internet Explorer 7.n, on Windows XP and Vista
- Mozilla Firefox 1.0.X (or 1.5.X), on Windows XP or Linux.
- Mozilla Firefox 2.x, on Windows XP or Linux
Guide to this recommendation
The first level of testing as mandated in standard 18.1 is the testing of browsers and their respective versions, irrespective of the operating system utilised for testing. This recommendation extends on this testing (second level) to include operating system with browsers and their versions.
Consider a range of computer types. This is also reflected in development and QA testing.
Principally, this should be IBM PC derivative and Apple computers. To go the extra mile, other devices besides computers can also be used for testing, such as handheld devices.
Web sites should be available to a range of assistive technologies, such as Braille and screen readers, and tested likewise. If the standards defined in this document derived from W3C WAI accessibility standards are complied with, web sites should automatically work satisfactorily with such technologies.
Rationale for this recommendation
Most browsers and their respective versions are available on more than one operating system. Though a browser should be independent of the operating system, there may be variances with functionality between operating systems.
