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800 X 600 resolution - Ethics

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sharonc

Programmer
Joined
Jan 16, 2001
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189
Location
US
Question: We just setup an Employee Intranet. I have noticed that 25% of the people have their screen resolutions set at 800 X 600. Should I be concerned about these people not being able to see the entire web page? They can scroll. Is there a way to setup the web page so that it automatically resizes for these people? Or should I not be concerned and tell them to join the future?
 
use % for widths, Primary concern should be your users (all of them). There will be a reason for people using lower resolutions.


Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
A website that proves the cobblers kids adage.
Nightclub counting systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.
 
With more users upgrading to WinXp and OS 10, 800x600 resolution is no longer a "supported" resolution. 1024x768 is the lowest resolution in WinXp that you can use.

Up to you. Personally, i only have 1% of my visitors that view my sites in 800x600
 
800x600 is the minimum resolution in Windows XP

and some
Website stats.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
A website that proves the cobblers kids adage.
Nightclub counting systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.
 
I still design to 800x600, and have resizing tables, so that the site still looks ok at higher resolutions. Some people use 800x600 because they have difficulty seeing lower resolutions.
I think you still need to design for the lowest common denominator, as long as it's not only 1 or 2 % of your veiwers, at 25%, I would certainly be looking at adjusting things, or finding out if they have a reason for using that resolution which could be addressed.

Sometimes, when my code just won't behave, I take it outside and make it listen to britney spears music, and when it comes back it's really well behaved. I wonder if it's suffering from post tramatic stress syndrome now..
 
Winxp on my home computer with monitor lists 1024x768 as the lowest...
 
I use Win XP Pro, and can set my resolution to 800x600. I didn't tweak it at all.

For web development, it's always a good idea to create for the lowest common denominator. Since 25% of your audience still uses 800x600, then use a flexible design.

Set your widths to percentage, as opposed to static pixels.

[cheers]
Cheers!
Laura
 
I can assure you WizyWyg that 800x600 is still supported by XP

[Peace][Pipe]
 
ummmm monitor resolution depends on the monitor/graphics card more than the OS. If you can't set lower than 1024x768 it is your monitor/graphics card that doesn't support it.

Because it is an intranet you should use your company standard if there is one. I work for a Govt. Agency and our standard is 1024x768. Some users choose 800x600 but we do not support them. (so if they have to scroll to bad)

If there is no standard in place I would encourage you to set one. Otherwise you will have to design for 800x600 and using percentages (as suggested above) allow it to grow to the 1024x768 browser size.

Just my two cents... hope it's helpful.

Wow JT that almost looked like you knew what you were doing!
 
If grpahics cards are doing that (and mines is nearly a year old), then i guess its time to just dump the notion to design for 800x600 resolution.

 
It still depends on your audience.

Web designers shouldn't design for what their computer supports, but what they're end use's computer MIGHT be like.

For example - I work for a university - I have the best tools available to me. However, my audience may be employees of corporations that are notorious for locking down computers and using (gulp) Win NT.

This means:
#1 I design for a resolution of 800x600
#2 I validate all my code using W3C's markup validation service
#3 I test my pages in IE, Safari, Mozilla, Firefox, Netscape 4.08, Netscape 7.1 and I test using Windows, Linux and Mac.

However, if you're designing a website for computer whizzes, then perhaps you know it's not necessary to design for such a low resolution.

[cheers]
Cheers!
Laura
 
I Had a problem like that in the past, when I actually met the users who had lower resolutions I could see why they were doing it.
Even though I didn't meet all the ones with lower resolutions I met two that were pretty relevant. One was a woman doing data entry all day long and had vision problems. Higher resolutions (800*600 +)were a killer for her.
THe other person I met was a senior manager about 55-60 years old. He had enough with trying to understand the whole 'computer thing' ( he was not a tekkie by far) but also the high resolution hurt his eyes to the point he hated the computer system completely.

I suggest you keep designing for 800*600 and use as much CSS as possible for future changes.

25% is a big number that means that for every four people you find in the elevator one will hate your guts because you made a system where they have to scroll up and down, left and right all day long..

grtfercho çB^]\..
"Imagination is more important than Knowledge" A. Einstein
-----------------------------------------------
 
Well, for me, its only less than 1% of my visitors with anything lower than 1024x768, so I really dont care otherwise.
 
You can always design for both ,and use a script that detects the users setting and directs viewers to the correct pages lot of xtra work though...

I am in the middle of doing that for a project now
 
Hi WizyWyg!
I am suprised to see this comming from you:
"Well, for me, its only less than 1% of my visitors with anything lower than 1024x768,"


HITs or Visitors?
Visitors are the ones coming back...the ones that enjoy reading the content....

above all what is the point?
You design for your visitors....period.
How big is your group pf visitors?
As big as the concept of www; therefor why exclude anyone?

...just use 800x600 as standard and make your pages to be flexible (w=100%).....that way it looks good regardless...
Pages are about content..."the stuff u read"...if some visitors have issue Reading your content then throw in some CSS+ cookies that they can customise font size that easies their eyes -in hand use mostly text links for content navigation....

the dark side:
for some that come from print industry it is harder to digest the concepts of "why should I design for the 'others'"

There is only so much u can do to include EVERYONE... LA Times or your local newspaper has or never will publish LARGE print jsut beacuse some sesnior citizens have issues reading!
This is true!!!!
BUT, that is way Web is so great + we cant look at the world from "our perspective" where getting a newest and greates video card is as easy as walking down the 7/11.
Why do u think Google bothered to develop "translation" fucntion on their pages? Even the search engines want people to read/see pages written in diff. languages...it is about infomation exchange...and/or presentation....choosing one side eliminates the other.
At the end of the day:
I guess "customer" is always right and needs to be pleased...and if someone wants their site done ALL IN FLASH or on ONE BIG image with hotspots....then, so be it.

All the best!

:--------------------------------------------------------------------------:
fugitive.gif

ok,ok...I did shoot the deputy but he told me he was the sheriff!
:--------------------------------------------------------------------------:
 
Whether designing for 1024x768, 800x600, or even 640x480 (heaven forbid!) I think that we all agree that the "target" browser needs to be defined. If that target is 1024x768 that's ok... just be sure of your target (your visitor).

I think what we are all getting at is to create a design that most easily accomodates all users. Today that is 800x600 with a percentage value so it can expand to 1024x768, next year it will probably 1024x768 expanding to the next size up. In other words design a page that "fails" gracefully when the browser(client) does not fit your target environment.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) most of my work these days is in a fixed environment and I get to use 1024, but all of my freelance commercial work is still done at 8x6.

Just my two cents.

Wow JT that almost looked like you knew what you were doing!
 
Whether designing for 1024x768, 800x600, or even 640x480 (heaven forbid!) I think that we all agree that the "target" browser(s) and resolution need to be defined. If that target is 1024x768 that's ok... just be sure of your target (your visitor).

I think what we are all getting at is to create a design that most easily accomodates all users. Today that is 800x600 with a percentage value so it can expand to 1024x768, next year it will probably 1024x768 expanding to the next size up. In other words design a page that "fails" gracefully when the browser(client) does not fit your target environment.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) most of my work these days is in a fixed environment and I get to use 1024, but all of my freelance commercial work is still done at 8x6 because I can successfully target more browsers that way.

Just my two cents.

Wow JT that almost looked like you knew what you were doing!
 
Thank you for all of the replys. I'm going to try the percents and see how that works. Most of you told me what I already new, but didn't want to believe. I need to design for all of my users.

Thanks.
 
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