Update:
Xenocode has decided to eschew usability in favor of…well nothing really. In order to use the browser sandboxes now, you must “initialize” them from the site, which amounts to downloading the files you need in order to execute the sandbox.
You can circumvent this genius decision by downloading the browser of choice, then open Windows Explorer and browse to
C:\Documents and Settings\[USERNAME]\Local Settings\Application Data\Xenocode\Start\Cache. There you will find folders for each browser (e.g. ie6, ie7, ie8…), and if you drill down a few folders more, you’ll find an executable. Copy that to your desktop, and you can load the browser on demand whenever you want. There’s a whole post with details and insights. Bad, Xenocode, bad!
Finally. That’s all I have to say.
A company called Xenocode has taken all the major browsers and packaged them into contained executables, which you can download and run from your desktop. That’s no big deal, per se, since you can just install them.
BUT, they have self-contained packages for IE 6, 7, and 8. And they work. Beautifully.
If you’re like me, you’ve tired (and hated) the ridiculously complex solutions to circumvent Microsoft’s genius decision to ingrain IE into the Windows operating system. If you’re also like me, you’ll jump up and down when you download and run the IE6 sandbox in two steps. Okay, I didn’t jump, just bounced in my chair a bit, but still…
It appears to be Windows-only, but every designer should have access to a Windows box for obligatory IE testing fixing. Now go test, and be satisfied.