A designer just gave me the HTML/JS/CSS for a new site design. The page is using the good old fashioned MM_crap methods to preload images.
Should we still be preloading mouseover images in today’s world? It feels so 1998.
Share
Sign Up to our social questions and Answers Engine to ask questions, answer people’s questions, and connect with other people.
Login to our social questions & Answers Engine to ask questions answer people’s questions & connect with other people.
Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.
Please briefly explain why you feel this question should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this answer should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this user should be reported.
A designer just gave me the HTML/JS/CSS for a new site design. The page is using the good old fashioned MM_crap methods to preload images.
Should we still be preloading mouseover images in today’s world? It feels so 1998.
Yes, absolutely. Even on fast connections, DNS lookups or connection hiccups can create a notable delay when loading an image. You don’t want that on a mouseover.
No need to use Dreamweaver’s preload code though: See What is the best way to preload multiple images in JavaScript? for alternatives.
Plus, there is a very interesting alternative of course (as mentioned by @hd and @Marcel): CSS sprites. Depending on your situation, they can be a superior solution – if you’re working on something new, it may well be worth the switch.