The site FAQ for MSNBC.com couldn't be more blunt: "To best view MSNBC.com, please use the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer. MSNBC supports the most popular browsers and operating systems as measured by viewer usage."

That would explain why some of the first reactions to the redesign cited problems with various browsers. (MSNBC.com freshens up with new design.) Some were bounced to text-only versions; others saw scrambled pages or error messages instead of elements. Opera, for instance, must be set up to mimic Internet Explorer to see the site as intended. The site initially blocked out Mac Safari users -- that has been fixed, said Scott Moore, president of MSNBC.com. He said the experience for Mac IE users and Safari is better than with the previous version.

Executives at MSNBC.com and partner Newsweek.com are keenly aware of the incompatibility issues. "As a publisher, my motivation is to try to serve the broadest possible audience we can," Moore said. "We try to make sure our site works well regardless of what browser, even for unusual browsers."

Several Mac and Windows configurations are tested for the highest level of compatibility with all MSNBC.com projects, including IE 5.5 when used on Windows 2000, and IE 6.x with Windows 98 and XP. 

According to internal site statistics from June 2003, about 80 percent of the site's visitors were using IE 5.5 and above, and 95 percent were using IE 5 and above. Only 2 percent used any version of Netscape; 3 percent were unknown. Just 2 percent of the machines connecting with the site were Macs. Said Michael Rogers, editor of Newsweek.com., "I know we're encouraging MSNBC to create as much compatibility as possible."

MSNBC browser share user statistics for June, 2003

But compatibility costs. "As someone who wears both the editorial and the business hats, I've been in the situation before," Rogers said. "You just have to look at your resources ? how much work it takes to accommodate a tiny part of the audience. In part, it's a rational economic decision. That said, I think anyone who's on the content side knows you've got to be content neutral, and anything that chops at that is dangerous."

Moore described it as "just good business to apply the resources to the majority."