Adaptive vs. Responsive Web Design

As mentioned at the start of this chapter, two main methodologies, known as adaptive and responsive, are used for modern website development. Both share the concept of using breakpoints, which are the limits created by using media queries, at which point a change to the site layout is imposed.

The difference between adaptive and responsive methodologies comes down to how the site changes between breakpoints; adaptive is essentially a series of fixed-width layouts, whereas responsive uses flexible dimensions so even between breakpoints sites have fluidity.

My opinion is that, given the enormous variability in device screen sizes, making a series of fixed-width pages to accommodate even the most common configurations ...

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