The inspection tool in IE8 Developer shows that the @media queries are functioning properly, with respond.min.js and html5shiv working as expected. The background images and div heights specified in the CSS files corresponding to the @media queries are being utilized correctly.
However...
The Layout inspector reveals a discrepancy where a box displays an incorrect height. The web page itself showcases the wrong background image within a misshapen box.
While the page renders correctly in webkit browsers, it encounters issues in IE8.
This is a "Desktop first" responsive design strategy: large.css consistently loads before small.css, which is only activated based on the @media query. Surprisingly, IE8 opts to display the background image and box from large.css, even though the Style inspector in the Developer Tools indicates the correct switch between the two.
Despite numerous attempts through various CSS and JavaScript workarounds to prompt IE8 for a repaint, the issue persists. The HTML document specifies DOCTYPE as HTML5, yet IE8 fails to render the displayed content accurately.
[updated since original question ...]
The problem can be observed at [URL edited], where by using Developer Tools in IE8, searching for id="hero" with smaller or medium screen size will reveal:
- The Style inspector indicating a height of 200px
- The Layout inspector (and visible page) displaying a height of 275px, matching the size designated for larger screens in the CSS cascade
This implies that respond.js effectively mimics the @media queries and selects the appropriate CSS file based on screen width, while IE8 struggles to refresh the display after detecting these modifications.