Post your thoughts on phasing out 800x600 and start designing for 1024x768 and up

[Kinky]

I build to fit 800x600 but if I use banners I try to use big ones so that the surfers with high resolutions don't see a tiny little ad

[Surfn]

Banners have been dead for me for years. If you want to add something to text use headers

[Useless]

The issue that seems to get somewhat forgotten is the fact that you shouldn't build for higher resolustions while leaving your font and image sizes the same as you've used for 8x6. Those things should be resized relative to the page size for easier viewing. Everyone who wants to build for the higher resolutions always seem to want to squeeze in more ad space around the original page which was constructed for 8x6, and is very difficult to read at 10x7. If you are being fair to your poor surfers' eyes, your 10x7 page shouldn't look any different to them than what 8x6 pages look to me while I'm surfing at 8x6.

Did that make any sense or did I talk myself into a circle again?

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

If you are being fair to your poor surfers' eyes, your 10x7 page shouldn't look any different to them than what 8x6 pages look to me while I'm surfing at 8x6.

Forget what the site below is about, that's not the point of this example. But open this url in a window the full size of your screen. Then grab your window and start pulling it smaller and smaller while watching what happens to that page elements and text sizes...

http://goldpanner.ca/goldpanner/index.htm

[[BV]]

Originally Posted by Simon

Forget what the site below is about, that's not the point of this example. But open this url in a window the full size of your screen. Then grab your window and start pulling it smaller and smaller while watching what happens to that page elements and text sizes...

http://goldpanner.ca/goldpanner/index.htm

I don't think I have ever seen that before. The source code looks encrypted

[MonsterPartners]

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

The issue that seems to get somewhat forgotten is the fact that you shouldn't build for higher resolustions while leaving your font and image sizes the same as you've used for 8x6. Those things should be resized relative to the page size for easier viewing. Everyone who wants to build for the higher resolutions always seem to want to squeeze in more ad space around the original page which was constructed for 8x6, and is very difficult to read at 10x7. If you are being fair to your poor surfers' eyes, your 10x7 page shouldn't look any different to them than what 8x6 pages look to me while I'm surfing at 8x6.

Did that make any sense or did I talk myself into a circle again?

It made perfect sense to me Very good point too.

[RedCherry]

My screen is 2560x1024, since I have dual monitors, and I agree 800x600 is TINY. Because of my dual monitors, I surf full sized in one screen, so 1280x1024.

I've been using a lot more banners that are 500x100 or 500x150 plus text to make the ad stand out more, but I still build adult sites for 800x600. I build non-adult though for 1024x768.

I tell you one thing, the old paysites built for 800x600 look really goofy in my screen, since most of the tour pages are only 400high. I like the "reality style" better where they may only be 800 wide, but they go down the page a lot further.

I also suggest centering your sites in the window. I always start out with 750 wide centered table around the whole page. Nothing like surfing with all this real estate, and seeing a site crammed into the left corner to look REALLY odd.

I just looked at theredcherry, I have an even 20% now using 800x600. 58% are using 1024x768, the rest are using something larger than 800x600.

[[BV]]

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

The issue that seems to get somewhat forgotten is the fact that you shouldn't build for higher resolustions while leaving your font and image sizes the same as you've used for 8x6. Those things should be resized relative to the page size for easier viewing. Everyone who wants to build for the higher resolutions always seem to want to squeeze in more ad space around the original page which was constructed for 8x6, and is very difficult to read at 10x7. If you are being fair to your poor surfers' eyes, your 10x7 page shouldn't look any different to them than what 8x6 pages look to me while I'm surfing at 8x6.

Did that make any sense or did I talk myself into a circle again?

I do not agree. With this logic there would be no reason to have higher resolutions and larger monitors. The whole advantage to higher resolutions and larger monitors is to be able to have more usable space on the screen.

[Useless]

Originally Posted by [BV]

I do not agree.

I guess my Vulcan mind trick didn't work.

Originally Posted by [BV]

With this logic there would be no reason to have higher resolutions and larger monitors.

My point exactly!

Originally Posted by [BV]

The whole advantage to higher resolutions and larger monitors is to be able to have more usable space on the screen.

Higher resolution is for clarity and bigger screens are due to the fact that we are impressed by large things. Keep in mind, just because some surfing fool has his/her screen res set above the good ol' 800x mark, it doesn't mean that they're viewing on a 19 or 23 inch monitor. I believe most users still employ a 17 inch monitor, as do I, and I'm here to tell you, most sites built for 1024x and above are really hard to read. I keep my res set at 800x600 because it's the most viewer-friendly resolution. Here's my piss poor analogy in action: I watch Deadwood on a 35 inch television. My friend watches it on his 50 inch television. We are watching are seeing the same picture. He doesn't see anything more than I do, he just see's it magnified.