Page size for website

yep, diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

Too bad he didn't become governor of California.

I like fluid. I have a hard time coping with the downsides, though - like the graphics and trying to figure how the text is going to read in all the different resolutions. I was trying to convert one earlier today, but gave it up to think about another time. Some do it very well, of course. I've noticed that over the years both types kind of go in and out of style. Everyone was going fluid when resolutions were mostly 640x480 or 800x600. Then they started to vary so widely that fluid was harder to do well.

I think that 2003 produced a lot of fixed sites, including many sites that are fixed but take pains to look fluid. More fluid ones seem to be on the horizon in 2004, though, from what I've seen.

<edit> shouldn't post when I'm under the influence...</edit>

2odd..

I generally use fluid design, although it has its problems. Very long lines of text are simply hard to read, and it can mess up the balance between eye-candy and content that makes reading a pleasure rather than a chore.

Reading "Web Style Guide" (Patrick Lynch and Sarah Horton), they suggest that whilst the safe area for graphics is 760px for screen use, the maximum is only 560px if users are likely to want to print the page. Then there's the problem of people accessing the web with smaller devices: laptops, PDAs and mobile phones. The trend now may be towards larger screen sizes, but who knows how it will pan out over the next few years?

I might take a lot of flak for the following...
The thread should be divided in two segments
Content oriented
Or Graphic oriented
The first one when limited around of 15/20 K-page
Is very easy to be shown in the fluid version
Remember that a viewer using a content/info oriented site
looks for the info and the easiness of getting it
The emphasize is not on graphic or presentation
“Almost” who cares for Arial or Verdana!
Make it readable and fluid to avoid the big NO NO lateral scrolling the rest is of no interest – content content and content really matters

Graphic that another story
Imho one should be sure it fits properly in the main 800 to 1200 ... or fix to fit 750
Although the real 560 real estate was also mentioned earlier

I do not like it but there is some truth in stating better viewed in this or that resolution, graphic oriented sites are artistically designed therefore one should respect the way the developer intends its site to be seen

Good points all. I ride the fence on fluid vs. fixed. IMO some entire sites work better one way or the other, while I have worked with content that uses a combination of the two; fluid design encapsulating fixed text.

Like in life; the web is not black or white, it is in color.