Faked CSS transparency is accomplished by utilizing a transparent GIF file for the background of nearly any element. This provides you with the ability to acheive translucentcy online.

To do so, however, the respective CSS elements must render the background with each call to the server. (Actually, not all browsers do this - only the dominant IE). This oftentimes cloggs the browser and rendering performance drops.

Typical example includes a 10x10 pix semi-transparent image used as a background on a wrapper DIV. IE renders the background from top to bottom (ala repeat-y) - but a user can see this being 'painted' to the screen at request time. Netscape's and other browsers performance in this regard is markedly better.

The solution to performance issues like this is to respect that IE is truly a dog and to give a file it wants - namely a large onek, instead of a small one to be wallpapered. While this in itself might lead to other performance bottlenecks, it appeears to bne easier work for the browser.

IE's Issues with Cached Backgrounds
By default, IE's 'Temporary Internet Files' settings force the browser to look for new versions of web pages by DEFAULT. Because of this, background images used in pages are not cached by the browser, and are requested anew during each page request. This leads to an issue known as 'CSS Flicker', and can be quite bothersome for navigational elements. Background image reloading also tends to crash the browser if the user hovers over these areas more than just a few times. Other browsers don't recall CSS background images by default -they cache them. Performance - such as :hover - is smooth.

For a better description, http://www.webreference.com/programming/css_flicker/2.html, or better yet - http://www.fivesevensix.com/, or still http://wellstyled.com/css-nopreload-rollovers.html

From this research, this issue can be fixed rather easily on Apache-based servers with little bit of code in a standard .htacces file. Be advised, however, that ExpiresActive is not extremely common within an Apache build, but can be compiled in very quickly and easily. This worked like a charm!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ExpiresActive On
ExpiresByType image/gif A2592000
ExpiresByType image/jpeg A2592000
ExpiresByType image/png A2592000
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You'll never go wrong reviewed this page from time to time. Typography and Page Layout is an excellent short summary. Applying the simple principles it outlines immediately improved my work.

Read it from time to time. Good optical center explanation. Excellent look into contrast. It really gets you thinking.

The page is one of many at Typography-1st.com . Just a very well done resource for anyone in the graphic arts.

Good Windows Info: http://cloanto.com/kb/3-157.html
Solid Mac Info: http://www.trah.co.uk/starterfile/mac.htm

Hybrid CDs with Toast
The only thing that Toast allows for you to do is make a CD where users on each platform - Win/Mac or Unix - will only see the files for that suppoorted platform, and none other. Win/Unix utilize ISO 9660. Macs support that format, but use their own individual format too. By using Toast, you can hide these files from other platforms. Other Mac issues, like icons, window position, etc., are also supported with the hybrid format.

One thing to keep in mind is that even without hybrid software, all platforms can 'see' ISO 9660 cds - hybrids just make it prettier and more convenient.

Here's an explanation on hybrid production using Toast from Roxio: http://www.roxio.com/en/support/toast/toasthybrid.jhtml

A Thing About Macs and OS X
Autorun will not work on Mac OS X. According to Autorun-Autoplay-tools.com, " Mac autoplay behavior requires QuickTime 2.0 or above and System 9 or below. OS X does not support autoplay. Classic will autoplay a CD if Classic is already running before the CD is mounted. This would be useful if you're planning a presentation to work over all environments for the Macintosh. A few years ago there was a Mac virus which used the QuickTime Autorun feature to wreak havoc on Mac’s all over the world. Macintosh engineers came up with a solution for fixing the problem—they simply removed the autorun feature from the OS X operating system. Hence the inability for OS X users to autorun CDs."