Adobe BrowserLab adds screen capture, more browsers

January 20, 2010 — 12:42pm ET | By Sharon Fisher

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Most Internet users know how annoying it is to have websites that don't work in their favorite browser. At the same time, any developer knows how much work it is to test new websites in every possible combination of browser, to make sure they work. That's why Adobe's BrowserLab, first introduced in June, has been so useful--it's a free service that lets developers see what their web pages will look like under different browsers and operating systems.

The company has now enhanced BrowserLab to include the following new features:

The ability to save locally so that screenshot renderings generated by BrowserLab, in either 1-up or 2-up views, can now be saved as JPEG files on a local hard drive for easy reference or sharing with clients and colleagues (as a former technical writer, I expect the documentation people like this feature, too)
Dreamweaver Extensions for enhanced integration with Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
Adding Internet Explorer 8, Chrome 3.0, Safari 4 and Firefox 3.5 to the current list of supported browsers
Providing users more precision with rulers on the X and Y axes, as well as movable guides
Enabling users to move to any area of a screenshot
Allowing users to pause rendering of a screenshot by up to 10 seconds for video-based content that requires time to let content load

Ominously, however, the service is described as a "limited free preview," supports a limited number of users, and Adobe said it will start charging next year. "There is no charge to use BrowserLab during the limited free preview," said the BrowserLabs FAQ. "It will remain free through the end of 2010. In early 2011, we plan on offering this service as a subscription of $10-20 USD per month, which will include Adobe InContext Editing."

For more:
- see the Adobe website