Re: ZAC Micro Systems Web Site

At 10:06 AM 8/6/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Hello to all of the HWG members. I just recently joined up but I am
>still just trying the group out. I would consider it a good feeling if
>I could get some of you to go look at a site I have been working on
>for some time now. It is located at http://www.empirenet.com/~zac .

Viewed on a pent 166, 64 megs ram, 33.6 modem, 1024x768 @16bit color in IE
4, NC 4, and NN 3

In IE 4 and NC4, had these comments:

The javascript navigation menu at the top to me would look better if it was
the same width as the title bar on top of it. Perhaps add a image to the
right of it that makes it look the same width (and in that image, maybe
make the bar that is going under the menu items fade out like the bars in
the titles do...

If you are going to keep using frames, why not utilize them so that only
part of the page is replaced by the links? (IE. leave the left area and the
bottom area on the site, and have the links only change the title area and
content area....)

The counter in main view, I also agree doesn't look good on a commercial
site right up in the main area. 

Also, with the page reloading the entire page for each link, this also
causes the counter to increase each time someone checks a different part of
the site, and if the counter is there for a customer to check the visits,
then this would give false statistics to the number of viewers.

Even though I could not here it, I would suggest getting rid of the MIDI or
if you must try putting a control on the left panel for people to start it
if THEY want to. At the very least, put the control in so we can STOP it if
you auto start it.

(It is sites that auto start music which caused me a year ago to leave MIDI
muted on my system as to I have a radio here that I'm always listening to
while on the net...)

For the ELECTRONIC MAIL. What if I don't have my mail program up and
running, and want to write down the e-mail address to use later? Why not
put it over by the address / phone numbers? (and also making it a link
there too...)

Along the same lines, on the LINKS page, why not in smaller print, include
the URL after the link names? Also, except for the Micro2000, the images
for the links are missing from the server.... They are small so you don't
see the image indicating this...

On the offerings page, The use of different colors is ok, but how about
making the use of it the same in each pane of the table. (ie. Blue for the
company, Red for the software, and white for the version number??) it would
make the page more uniform. (and don't forget to list the version of all
the software, ie. What version of AutoCAD? that could make a big difference
to someone needing to use that...)

And I just realized, for "Data Conversion Available", you have the
AVAILABLE underlined which makes it look like a link, when it's not.
Viewing that text makes it look like there is a link to find out more about
data conversion. (why not make it a link to mailto: so they can e-mail and
ask about it?)

Ok, now for NN 3.x

Out of the 7 people I know who browse the net, 5 of them still use NN 3, so
I wouldn't exclude that viewing audience from your site...

Ok, first thing I noticed, in NN 3, the menu control didn't work. Why not
have the html code check for older browsers and just put the images, and
possibly for NN3, you can still have it change the images....

Second thing, on the left, the address and phone numbers is all scrunched
(is that a word LOL) up at the top of the screen. (probably from the lack
of <BR>'s in the HTML which displays it all on one line...

Also, on the introduction page, I guess it is from the style sheets again
or something, but the text and picture is at the bottom instead of in the
middle of the large text, and the small text is below the picture, instead
of beside it.

Basically, I'm just wondering, is there any particular need to use the
coding which is only viewable on NN4 and IE4 (and possibly IE3 (dang
Microsoft wouldn't let me keep two versions...))

It seems that most of what you have on the site could be designed with
regular HTML code, (with exception of the nav bar).

I would definitely add somewhere another set of nav links to view the site...

Overall though, the site looks good and loads decently for me. 

Seems to have a good amount of information about the services.

Good luck!

-Greg

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