To Hell with 800 X 600 ?

[mojojuju]

There was a time when web designers the world over started dropping support for 640 x 480 screen resolutions. At that time, there were many who thought that not supporting 640 X 480 screen sizes was a horrible thing to do.

Nowadays, there is an increasing number of web masters who have chosen not to support browser windows of 800 X 600 or less. Seeing that the large majority of visitors to most of my sites use a resolution of 1024 x 768 or larger, I'm seriously considering redesigning my sites for the visitors using 1024 X 768.

I am strongly against using a re sizable layout. I like fixed width divs.

My questions are:

How many of you guys are designing primarily for 1024 x 768?

If you're not, then why?

Also, if you're designing sites for 1024 x 768 screens, have you accommodated visitors with smaller resolutions in any way also? (having an alternate style sheet, placing the least important stuff in the area where small screen users would not see)

How many of you still have your screen resolution set at 640 x 480? j/k

I'm interested in hearing what others are doing with regards to catering towards the screen size of their visitors.

[Trudat]

Just add a little note saying "viewed best in 1024x768" lol
I think 1024x768 is pretty much the norm nowadays, with some people going higher, and almost no one lower.

[celato]

You'd be surprised how many users still use a Windows 95 or 98 machine, on a dial up account at 800x600. My grandmother runs her screen at 800x600 on a 19" monitor because everything is bigger, and thus easier for her to see. She seems to think this is better despite the fact that she has to scroll up and down left and right to read anything. I'd say start at 1024x768, users that use 800x600 are used to things looking weird, or having to scroll all over the place to read the page. Putting a note like "best viewed at..." wont help, because if they are running at 800x600, chances are they don't know what screen resolution means.

- Celato

[mojojuju]

Well, I'm not surprised at all. I have actual numbers. I run a large nonprofit site which receives traffic from people presumably who are not internet savvy.

Those that use screen resolutions of 800x600 or less make up approximately 12% of visitors. Remember, this is general traffic. And that number is gradually declining with time.

Now, what I've seen others do, is that they design using the entire 1024x768 space which most people use. But, all of the most important stuff is located in a column that is 800 px wide so that the small resolution people can see it. Some less important stuff is put to the right of the 800 px column and the majority with screens larger than 800x600 can see it. Does anyone here do this?

I just want to make use of more of the screen space. And I hate the idea of not doing it just because 12% use smaller browsers.

And BTW, the site's I'm thinking of exploiting more screen space with are blogs and general news sites - no product sales pages.

Thanks for your insight Celato.

Trudat, I'm pretty sure that you were kidding when you said "Just add a little note saying "viewed best in 1024x768" lol". That seems so 1995 :)

I do think though, that we're at a turning point, just as we wer'e when 640x480 went out of widespread use. I do know some (like my grandmother) who use 800x600, but I'm seeing a greater number of wide ass screen resolutions in my logs.

BTW, I use four 17" monitors and I have each of them at 1024x768. It's most comfortable for me, and I have less than perfect eyesight.

Peace y'all

[BoogalooDude]

:lol: I'm glad you asked Trudat if that comment was a joke, I've always thought that 'best viewed in...' was just another way of saying 'I'm a crap website designer'. Kinda like 'skip intro' is another way of saying 'this intro is pointless'.

I design for 1024x768 but I still take 800x600 into account. Most of my sites are 740px wide precisely because of that. I think they look nice centered in the browser and they're fixed width but they'll expand down the page to cope with accessibility requirements. When I have to go full width, I use fluid layouts mostly.

I don't think it's a good idea to ignore any section of your potential visitor base if you can avoid it, especially one that makes up 12% of it. I hope that you're right though, it would be nice to have one LESS thing to worry about...

[Trudat]

I've always loved seen that little disclaimer at the bottom of web pages. 12% at 800x600 (or less!?! sheesh) does make sense, but while Boog is right about not alienating any part of your visitor base, It'd be interesting to see what % of that 12% buys things on-line as opposed to the rest. Are these people too unexperienced with the net/pc's to even buy on-line, or are they so inexperienced that they're more willing to buy? I'd think it would be the former, where they're less trusting of on-line business.

[mojojuju]

It'd be interesting to see what % of that 12% buys things on-line as opposed to the rest. Are these people too unexperienced with the net/pc's to even buy on-line, or are they so inexperienced that they're more willing to buy? I'd think it would be the former, where they're less trusting of on-line business.

Excellent point. I've always figured that the 800x600 crowd included my grandmother, celatos grandmother, and all the folks that buy our old 15" monitors at our yearly garage sales.

It would be interesting to split test this.

I think that I am going to design for a minimum resolution of 1024x768 from now on for most of my sites. Possibly include a stylesheet for lower resolutions, but probably not.

I like what I've seen at http://www.reuters.com and many other sites. They put most of the beef on the left side where those small screen people can see it. The overflow on the right side has less important stuff.

In case you were all wondering why I'd like to fill the width of 1024x768, it is because I want to include as much attractive information above the fold as possible.

Peace yall

[alien23]

Even though i also design with 1024 X 768 , i keep in mind 800 x 600 and my page wisth will be 780 and height will be 600 as these set ups will get the page to the centre in 1024 x 768 resolutions and i ma really surprised on seeing most of them don't follow this as actually this set up looks nice for any web site.Don't you think so?