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Originally Posted by lmilesw
I have not done extensive research but one article that points out some of the issues with responsive design is this one from WebDesignShock.com. |
Ok, I've read a few similar rebuttals to Ethan Marcotte's
Responsive Web Design Article.
They all bring up the same thing, which is a valid point, that mobile devices with less processing power, and generally less bandwidth than their desktop cousins, will download, and reprocess larger images even if they ultimately display smaller versions via media queries.
They (the rebuttals) also are generally unanimous in their conclusions that:
- A responsive site served to a desktop/notebook platform will have no performance penalty.
- A responsive site served to a mobile device will generally have no performance penalty when compared to a site optimized for desktop/notebooks only.
- A responsive site served to a mobile device will have a much more satisfying UX (user experience) compared to a site optimized for desktop/notebooks only.
The only better thing than a responsive site served to a mobile device is a site optimized only for that device, and not desktop/notebooks.
So, if you design a different version of your sites for mobile devices, then, yes, that is superior to a single responsive design.
My point here is not to convince anyone one way or another, just to point out the facts (as I understand them. That is why I chimed in.
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This is important stuff, as I've read the projection that within 5 years more sites will be visited by mobile devices than by desktop/notebooks; So if you target only the desktop, you are serving poor design to a continually growing share of your audience.
If you do not build different content to serve the mobile devices, then responsive is a valid tool for a designer's box!
