After trying different versions of  LiveUpdates "Crescendo" with various HTML coding I started this test series to try to find out what caused various problems I was having with various browsers and different versions of American On Line,  Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape with  various versions of Crescendo coding for these many  browser versions.

Believe me,  I'm not an expert at all of of this but I have managed to find out quite a bit over the last three year. Ie was very frustrated, along with many others that I had talked to,  because some things work with some things and some things just don't work with others.

I wanted my web pages to be able to be viewed by anyone,  including myself,  with any browser, and any midi plug-in and be able to listen to the music without problems or complete crashing!!!

I wanted also to use different coding on some of my web pages with some assurance that viewing my page was not going to crash someone out there in cyberspace.  Formerly I could go directly to some of  Crescendo's sites with AOL as my ISP and using AOL'S propriorty MS IE built in browser and crash !!!

This aggravated me terribly,  especially when I followed a link from a newsgroup to check someones webpage,  opened their page which was coded with no telling what versions, and crash!
I then had to reopen my ISP,  open a different browser,  reopen the newsgroup,  which has to download again since we're now using a different browser,  try to find the link again that we started from as I had not bookmarked the site yet, and then go back to the persons page.  This can make a long evening!  

I was participating in the Liveupdates "Crescendo" news group and E-mailing back and forth with others,  including Live Update,  to continue to try and figure out some of these things.  (See smiley face below!!!).

Unfortunately the Crescendo news group is no longer available!

Any input from anyone is always appreciated.

One thing I can tell everyone for sure at this time, which really used to tick me off,  is that if you try to go through these tests using older versions of AOL as your server,  using their built-in browser,  which is a proprietary version of MIE, 3.0 or older:
You will crash AOL's browser and sometimes AOL itself on several of the tests.

This crash could also cause us you to lose your internet connection, so you would have to go to the internet connection icon, right click, click on properties, then click on the connection tab, and then click on the dialing checkbox to connect to the internet as needed.

Want to see a picture of the error message I used to get when AOL crashed?  Click  Jack's Old Problem.

Several people who have responded to my tests have asked me what I'.  Here goes and it's not too fancy.

EQUIPMENT:

Gateway 2000,  Pentium 90.  1gb disk compressed to 2.1gb, 40mb ram memory,  and a U. S. Robotics
Sportster 33,600 modem.

BROWSERS:

American On Line for Windows 95, Version 5.0 which is a 32 bit program and uses version 5.0 of  Microsoft Internet Explorer as a built in browser.  (This Was A Terrible Problem In Some Earlier Versions)  Still has some problems with some Java Scripts.  I use the Crescendo MAX Active X Plug-In Version 4.02 with this setup.  Still Some Minor Problems.

Microsoft Internet Explorer, Version 5.00, with the Crescendo MAX Active X Plug-In Version 4.02.  Still Some Minor Problems.

Netscape Communicator, Version  4.07 with Crescendo MAX Plug-In Version 4.2.  I very rarely have problems with this browser, no matter who I'm using for ISP but do have some isolated problems now and then.

I also have used Netcom and Compuserve in the past but gave up on them and their built in browsers.
Now that Netcom and Cserve are owned by AOL I no longer use them for ISP's or browsers.
I played around with the Opera for awhile but have uninstalled it for now until someone can convince me that it is better than Netscape and MS IE.

Lost Your Crescendo Plug-In Or Want To Try It - Click Here!

Test 2 OK W'Netscape,  Flaky with Older Versions Of MS IE, Crashes Older Versions Of AOL.
Simple script using the object tag, similar to Test 1.

Test 3 Old Faithful
Works with nearly everything but no Crescendo Logo shows up with MSIE which is the way it
should be with this code.  Did not crash AOL - Thank Goodness!
This old code has been around since sound I think.  Works and is simple.
A good code to start with until you get braver.

Test 3-2 Old Faithful - Another Variation

Test 4 OK W'Netscape,  Flaky with Older Versions Of MSIE, Crashes AOL
Change Made To Code 12'28'97.
A Simple Javascript.  Determines if  web page viewer is using MS IE or Netscape.

Test 5 OK W'Netscape,  Flaky with Older Versions Of MSIE, Crashes Older Versions Of AOL.
This is an example of Crescendo Using A Lengthy Script Code And Checks
To See What Browser Is Being Used And What Version Of Crescendo Plug-Ins
DO NOT USE AMERICAN ON LINES AOL PRESS TO EDIT THE ABOVE SCRIPT

Test 6 OK W'Netscape,  Flaky with Older Versions Of MSIE, Crashes Older Versions Of AOL.
This test is similar to my test 4 but it takes you directly to the Crescendo Web Site
where this code was announced.  It is slightly longer that my Test 4.
 It is also an example of Crescendo Using A Java Script Code And Checks To
See What Browser Is Being Used And What Version Of Crescendo Plug-In.

Test 7 OK W'Netscape,  Flaky with Older Versions Of MSIE, Crashes Older Versions Of AOL.
This test is similar to my test 5 but takes you direct to the Crescendo Web Site
where this code was announced.  A very large example of Crescendo Using A Java Script
Code And Checks To See What Browser Is Being Used And What Version Of Crescendo Plug-In.

Test 8 OK W'Netscape,  Flaky with Older Versions Of MSIE, Crashes Older Versions Of AOL.
This test seems to work reasonably well with most browsers, not always.

Test 9 Simple Embed, Hidden Test That Usually Works.
This test seems to work reasonably well with most browsers.

Explanation Of The Embed HTML Coding.

Examples Of Several Sizes Of The Crescendo Logo

Example Of The Crescendo PlayMidi Script For A Jukebox

A Web Page I Recently Ran Across That Is Quite Helpful Regarding
AOL Browser Compatibility
Wish I Had Found It 2 or 3 Years Ago

Some Crescendo And Other Music Graphics

For the Non-American's out there.  "Flaky" is a USA slang word
for unpredictable.  Another slang word, "Squirrley"

Did you make it through all the tests with AOL and MSIE without a problem?
Tell us how you did it!!!!! 

If you also have problems let us know.  Be sure to keep posting your questions or input to the Crescendo newsgroup.  

12/17/97-I am now very happy to report that with all the latest upgrades of AOL,
MS IE, Netscape and Crescendo that most of the above AOL crashes seem to have gotten much better!  Upgrade, Upgrade!, Upgrade, every time you get the chance.

3/23/98-Added Tests 8 and 9.

4/24/98-Added direct link to the Crescendo newsgroup.

6/2/98-Added further explanation of the Embed Code.

11/11/98-Added examples of sizing options for the Crescendo logo's.

11/20/98-Added another size to the examples of sizing options for the Crescendo logo's.

11/21/98-Added further explanation of the Embed Code and FTP.

11/22/98-Added A Second Variation Of Test 3.

11/28/98-Added An Example Of The Crescendo PlayMidi Script For A Jukebox

RESPONSES FROM THOSE WHO HAVE TRIED THE TESTS
No Longer Being Updated, However, The Page Is Still Here