As I understand these form the basis for targeting a wide array of devices based on the browser size, given it would be a time consuming to generate different layouts targeting different/specific devices and their resolutions.

Questions:

• Firstly right to the jargon, is there any actual difference between the two or do they mean the same?
• Is it safe to classify the current development mainly a html5/css3 based one?
• What popular frameworks are available to easily implement this?
• What testing methods used in this regard?
• What are the most common compatibility issues in terms of different browser types?
• I understand there are methods like this http://css-tricks.com/resolution-specific-stylesheets/ which does this come under?.
• Are there any external browser detection methods besides the API calls specific to the browser that are employed in this regard?

Points of interest [Prior Research before asking these questions]

1. Why shouldn't "responsive" web design be a consideration?

2. Responsive Web Design Tips, Best Practices and Dynamic Image Scaling Techniques

3. A recent list of tutorials 30 Responsive Web Design and Development Tutorials by Eric Shafer on May 14, 2012

Update

Ive been reading that the basic point of designing content for different layouts to facilitate a responsive web design is to present the most relevant information. now obviously between the smallest screen width and the highest we are missing out on design elements.

I gather from here http://flashsolver.com/2012/03/24/5-top-commercial-responsive-web-designs/ The top of the line design layouts (widths) are

• desktop layout (980px)
• tablet layout (768px)
• smartphone layout – landscape (480px)
• smartphone layout – portrait (320px)

Also we have a popular responsive website testing site http://resizemybrowser.com/ which lists different screen resolutions.

I've also come across this while trying to find out the optimal highest layout size to account for http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10538599/default-web-page-width-1024px-or-980px which brings to light seemingly that 1366x768 is a popular web resolution.

• Is it safe to assume that just accounting for proper scaling from width 980px onwards to the maximum size would be sufficient to accommodate this? given we aren't presenting any new information for the new size.
• Does it make sense to have additional information ( which conflicts with purpose of responsive web design) to utilize the top size and beyond?