PNG or not PNG? v. 9 Development Question

While developing version 9 of Web Wiz Forums we have a development question regarding images that we would like feedback on.

The issue is whether or not to use PNG images with alpha transparency  in Web Wiz Forums version 9.

The advantage of PNG images with alpha transparency is that you can create images with clear backgrounds without the fuzzy haze coursed by  transparent GIF images.

This is very useful when altering things like background colours as it means that you don't get a fuzzy white coloured mark around the graphics and icons which are especially apparent if you change the background in Web Wiz Forums to a darker colour. Using PNG with alpha transparencies would fix this issue.

PNG images with alpha trasnparencies have been supported in most browsers for around the last 7 or 8 years, accept Intrenet Explororer which only got support for PNG aplpha trasnparencies in IE7. Versions of IE prior to IE 7 stills how the PNG images but show the transparent background is displayed as a slightly off white colour (although you can use Javascript to get around this issue).

The question therefore is should Web Wiz Forums version 9 use PNG images with aplpha transparency?

With Vista becoming available in stores to everyone tomorrow, I have a feeling a lot of folks will be upgrading to IE 7 soon also. I say stick with the alpha transparent PNGs.

How about including one image version with the download (lets say PNG format) and make the other image version available for download (lets say GIF format) if one chooses to use the other version.

That way we have access to both and can just upload the one you want to use for a quick and easy fix.

If you replace the hardcoded image names in the asp pages with variable names and then have an include file which defines the image variables, you could give users the option of easily using either PNG or GIF. In one include file all the variables are defined as the PNG images, another inc has all the GIF files. Simply use the relavent include file and images.

Otherwise I'd agree with MadDog and say stick with GIFs for now. The fuzzy edges are just down to the quality of the GIFs and they can easily be cleaned up to look much clearer.