Questions and Answers for Macintosh Users
Following our posting of browser requirements for HRMS, we've received some specific questions. These are posted below, with responses from the technical team.
Q: Based on this [HTTP 1.1 requirement], it looks like Mac HRMS users should not use IE, but Netscape 4.5 or greater. Have you tested Mozilla or OmniWeb for HRMS compliance? (These browsers are commonly used as modern IE alternatives by Mac OS X users, although most seem to use IE 5.x.)
A:
The Microsoft Internet Explorer Resource Kit, Chapter 10, says:
"Internet Explorer supports the new HTTP 1.1 protocol, which
compresses packets of data transferred via HTTP to boost performance
as much as 50 to 100 percent over HTTP 1.0, for faster, more efficient
downloads of Web content.....".
We based our suggestions on PeopleSoft's recommendations. Only IE and Netscape were tested because these are PeopleSoft's recommendations.
Q: I have a question about the SSL issue with Explorer 5.0x that your document describes. Most of the users I support will access HRMS from Macintosh computers. Am I correct in assuming that there is no similar SSL issue with Explorer on Macs?
A: The SSL issue for IE 5.0X and 5.5 has to do with the displaying of the error message "This page has both secure and nonsecure items, do you want to continue" when navigating in the SSL-secured HR technical infrastructure. PeopleSoft indicates that this problem, which it has confirmed with Microsoft, has been fixed with IE 5.5 Service Pack 1. There is no corresponding fix with 5.0X. There is no mention of a similar problem in MacIntosh IE 5.X by PeopleSoft or Microsoft.
Q: It would be helpful to present the information in this document in a multi-OS friendly way. That is, I support primarily Mac OS systems in this dept, and searched around for information about them in the document--I had to use the Find function to locate this (minimal) information.
Better, and more like other documents about application requirements on campus, would be to have a section for Windows (often broken into, if needed, NT, 2000, XP, etc) and one for Mac and on to Unix or others as appropriate. Clear information relating to the OS you use makes following the guidelines easier. As to whether these instructions should be directed at users or the technical support people, I think you may get feedback on that also...
A: PeopleSoft recommends that users will have a far superior experience if IE is used, and in particular, under a Windows-based system, although it does support IE under MacIntosh. However, your point is noted and for future articles we will arrange the information by OS if that is relevant.
The documents are directed both to users and to technical support people, because departments have different arrangements for technical support.