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:haripu: · Jan 25, 2006, 03:17 PM

I know that there are many iWeb threads around, but this topic didn't seemed to fit logically into another thread, so I decided to post a new one.

Why are alle the pictures that get processed through iWeb saved as PNG-files. The size of those things is terrible!
A 400x300 px photo I used in my blog takes up 244 KB of space. And there are no transparencies or anything in there, so there is really no reason not to use JPG (which would bring the size down to 30 KB without any visible quality loss).

Am I missing something here? This can't be right? I personally don't care, but what about the people who still are on slow modem connections?

Tomchu · Jan 25, 2006, 04:00 PM

Because PNGs are lossless, and support alpha-channel transparency.

Who cares about modem users? I'm pretty sure everyone on broadband can agree that we're tired of them holding us back for all these years. It's time to let go.

CharlesS · Jan 25, 2006, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by Tomchu

Because PNGs are lossless, and support alpha-channel transparency.

Except that PNGs with alpha channels don't show up correctly for the 95% or so of web browsers who are using IE...

TETENAL · Jan 25, 2006, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Except that PNGs with alpha channels don't show up correctly for the 95% or so of web browsers who are using IE...

You can use that transparency filter of Internet Explorer to work around this.

jyunderwood · Jan 25, 2006, 04:18 PM

iWeb wasn't really made with them in mind. It was designed to get your Photos, Music, Podcast, and Videos on the web.

Besides light photos galleries, dial-up users should not think about visiting the kind of site iweb would create. I'm all for photos having more quality on the internet.

Think of it the other way, why cater to dial-up and leave the broadband users without their money's worth?

Horsepoo!!! · Jan 25, 2006, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by TETENAL

You can use that transparency filter of Internet Explorer to work around this.

True...and I believe iWeb produces a script that allows them to make use of it. The PNGs display perfectly on IE when you view an iWeb site.

Sad that a workaround had to be created though.

Millennium · Jan 25, 2006, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Except that PNGs with alpha channels don't show up correctly for the 95% or so of web browsers who are using IE...

Yes, but very few of the pictures which wind up as PNGs from iWeb have alpha channels anyway, so it doesn't matter.

Kevin · Jan 25, 2006, 05:47 PM

Isn't the next release of IE supposed to fully support PNGs?

JKT · Jan 25, 2006, 07:54 PM

I do have broadband and, personally, I hate the way iWeb sites make me feel as though I am back on dial-up again. One of the earliest test sites posted had a home page that had a default theme image (a book) on it that was over half a MB in size. That is just crazy.

CharlesS - the number of people using IE these days is down to ~85% (probably actually a few % points less than that if we take browser spoofing into account) not 95%. Hopefully it will continue to fall even further (or IE 7 when it is released actually will follow web standards to a reasonable degree). Firefox alone accounts for ~10% of people, Safari a further 2 to 3%.

JKT · Jan 25, 2006, 07:55 PM

<edit> Sick to ****ing death of this shitty forum software double posting all the ****ing time... argggggh!

</edit>

rickey939 · Jan 25, 2006, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin

Isn't the next release of IE supposed to fully support PNGs?

:haripu: · 08:55 AM

yes, I know of the advantages of PNG. but my question was, why use the format with EVERY bloody picture, even if it doesn't use transparencies and could be compressed without any visible losses? Remember, the webpage wouldn't look worse - so no-one is "holding you back".

as long as there's an easy alternative: why should we want to lock some people (like my parents) out of our websites?

Cadaver · Jan 26, 2006, 09:47 PM

Perhaps this has something to do with the patent dispute over the JPEG format?

Toyin · Jan 28, 2006, 03:42 PM

I have to agree. The fastest broadband I can get is 512k aDSL and iWeb sites are painfully slow. I had planned on converting my .mac site with iWeb templates, but until they add some more output options I'll stick with homepage or give up on 'shake and bake' websites and remake it in Dreamweaver.