Safari browsers, the new catalogue, and more
October 5, 2007
A few of you have written us to ask why various things on the new site don't work in your older Safari browser. You are correct, and we know that it doesn't work in old versions (anything before Safari 2.0).
Fret not however; the news is still good for you. You can get the Firefox browser for free and enjoy a faster and more secure experience across the web - not just on our site. I'm no computer whiz, and I did it easily.
This is about the browser requirements for this site. It has been a topic of some heated discussion on some lists, so here is our take on it:
Why would they want me upgrade to something new, when the last old site worked with almost any browser? Isn't that against (what some people see as) The Rivendell Way?
Not izzackly. We aren't "retro" for the sake of being retro, and our products don't reflect that either. We choose things that provide the best value, be they old or new. Likewise, our site isn't "technically advanced" for the sake of being flashy or fancy, it is simply playing ball with modern web development and security standards, while keeping the lowest common denominator in mind. Like our products, it is built to be safe, stable and long-lasting. And more than 99% of people across the entire planet use the site with no problems.
We could have had the web team build a version of the site to support a small handful of people who are using Safari 1, but the development costs far outweighed the benefits. When we learned that great browsers like Firefox are free, that solidified our decision to forgo Safari 1.
The nerdy items, which the web team asked me to put here
The site is built to support A-Grade browsers, which you can see here: http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/articles/gbs/
That list is the golden standard of modern web development, and covers nearly every browser of the 00's (except pre-2.0 Safari). If you are using one of the browsers on that list, you'll have a fine experience here.
Also: The new catalogue
Today is October 5, and our new catalogue is going to the printer on Monday. It is finished. Compared to the site, it is lackluster and humdrum, but it's something you can hold and touch and so on, and when you consider that our current catalogue has a 2006 date on it, the monumentalness of this new one becomes more apparent. It is not a rockem-sockem catalogue, and it isn't all that different from the one it replaces. What it is, is finished; and what it'll be by October 14 is in the mail. I hope you like it. As always, it will be mailed Third Class. That saves Thousands, making it a no-brainer, I'm sorry to say. Third Class takes Three Weeks to land, so everybody on the mailing list should have it by November 10 or so.
Other news around here:
We'd considered a disc-brake option on the Bombadil, but it was nixed and just for the record, it wasn't me who nixed it. One argument in favor of a disc is that it would make it extra clearly different from an Atlantis, but the sloping top tube, single-color paint, and maybe a gusset should take care of that. Our first choice color is clear coat, but it's possible we'll offer silver or black or red or blue also. If we get them in unpainted, there's really no drawback to that, but it's all far enough away still, so we aren't wringing hands and consulting our ouija board just yet.
The Nigel Smythe bags are running out, and they're nearly too expensive too replace, but we may anyway. They're good, but wow. The dollar has never been weaker aginst the pound--at least not in 50 years. We're probably going to have our Keven's Bag maker (and new Baggins Bag maker) make versions of the Nigel bags. New panniers will be here in two weeks, and then other models.
