Just Another Resolution Thread

Should I Turn Back the Clock For a Few Users?

[fidibidabah]

I'm quite aware that around now the internet is about 50/50, 800x600 and 1024x768. Also, I personally believe 1024 is closer to 60% simply because of the number of new computers bought in the last year or two and Windows XPs default of 1024.

Now regardless of all this information, I have a very serious question.

I recently developed a website, an extensive content-driven site. One that I haven't quite launched yet. But trust me, it's ginourmous.

Anyway, here comes the problem/question. See, my site is specifically about Dev/Promotion/Affiliates... it's a webmaster resource, in otherwords. Now, most Webmasters I know are pretty techy, and even those that aren't are pretty with the times.

I basically took the liberty of thinking that since my site is geared for/towarads/nimukatte technical users, that 1024 would be ok.

Make a long story short, I'm having second thoughts.

If it makes you/me feel any better, the site was developed XML/CSS, everything was put in and then CSS sort of pushes it all around

But, evenso, it looks horrible in 800x600. It doesn't scroll horizontally, it just squishes together. Fixing it would be literally impossible, and if I did, it would really take away from the effect while viewing in 1024x768, so I'm really thinking of auto-filtering users, or just having a doorway page with a choice.

I was wondering which if those two would be a better option in your opinion, and whether you think I'd have to do either (given my subject matter). Thanks :)

[txbakers]

But, evenso, it looks horrible in 800x600. It doesn't scroll horizontally, it just squishes together. Fixing it would be literally impossible, and if I did, it would really take away from the effect while viewing in 1024x768, so I'm really thinking of auto-filtering users, or just having a doorway page with a choice

Is it a question of "effect" like you say above or useability? Effects are for Hollywood movies. I don't visit websites for the effects, I go for content and usability.

Any type of browser or resolution sniffing is not very accurate.

[victor]

I guess you mean the site looks when viewed with the browser maximized (full-screen) at 1024x768, and no more toolbars or other goodies taking space than you use. And, the same default font as you use with the same default size.

If so, that's probably a rare combination of settings.

Take me, for example. I rarely have a browser maximmised. I will have several tool bars (some at the top, some on the right). I don't tend to mess with the default fonts, but I may be using a different browser to you, and that may use a different font size.

It is possible that you have designed a website that looks great only on your monitor. And will only look good to poor on anyone else's.

The 800x600 problem may just be a symptom of that.

If you are using CSS, there should be a lot of scope to go liquid. That should make the site look okay (if not great) under a vast range of conditions including 800x600 -- and PDAs that techies may be using for a first look.

[fidibidabah]

Well it's not quite as bad as that. I've tested it on the top 5 browsers, along with the last 3 versions of the top 3 browsers. I also have the font size controlled by CSS (with every piece of text anywhere on the site). I recently had the page set with no scroll bar etc. I turned the scroll bar back on, made it so instead of making everything fit in one 1024x768 window, it pulls and stretches downward, which releases strain if you have extra toolbars. But there's still a lot I have to consider.

I know I screwed up, I'm not fighting that, I'm just trying to figure out the best route to fix it.

Explain this 'liquid' to me? I assume it's a shortened form of some sort of programming language?

[karmov]

Liquid usually refers to allowing divs and other things to resize themselves according to a user's screen size. I think a doorway page would probably be the least of the two evils. You never know what kind of trouble you're going to get into when you try to autofilter anything. Give the control to the user and allow them the chance to choose.

All of that being said, you should *really* reconsider redoing the layout and making it a bit more flexible since as already mentioned, you never know when someone at a given resolution has toolbars, etc... in the way or when someone's coming to your page via webTV, cell phone, lynx, etc... I had to run out and find some emulators when I found the first cell phone browser in my logs. Made a few tweaks as a result. You have to be flexible since you never know where your audience is going to come from. Especially with a brand new site.

[fidibidabah]

It's true. BUT IT LOOKS SO PRETTY THE WAY IT IS NOW!

I think I might cry.

Actually, the content pages work fine in 1024x768 OR 800x600, regardless of how many toolbars one has or where their taskbar is. It's completely flexible vertically.

Only the main homepage has this problem, which has now been made completely flexible vertically as well. All I really have to do is change one thing to make it look right in 800x600 but i really don't want to. I guess I can just give the users their choice.

I mean, right now, everything is based on how much space you have on the screen, So regardless of whether it's 1024 or 1600, it stretches appropriately. It can just only shrink so much, down to 900 or so, before it starts looking a little odd.

Thanks for your support guys, I'm not quite as worried as I was before, and I think I can salvage this exsisting template.

But I still think the web is ugly in 800x600, and not just my site :P

[victor]

Liquid is a set of techniques, all of them as Karmov says, intended to let the browser fit the content to the available screen real estate:

specify divs as percentages not pixels

ditto for tables and cells and images etc

specify fonts as relative sizes (I use percentages) rather than specific font sizes.

You may never win awards at 800x600,

And, if you did, then 640x480 (still twice the size of a PDA screen) may still look ugly.

But if the content is readable, that's what matters.

And you may look great at other resolutions you've never tested. That's a good step towards future-proofing the design.