Web Development and 800x600 Support?

Discussion in 'HTML & Website Design' started by KevinJB, Jun 15, 2006.

  1. #1
    http://www.kevinjb.com/2006/06/15/support-...00-resolutions/

    Many users still use a resolution of 800 x 600, and it's often not their fault. I don't want to shut them out simply because they can't afford to upgrade to a newer computer or through some other limitation.

    On the other hand, I don't want to be held back because some users have older computers. I also want my website to look good, and the way I want it to as well.

    I'm obviously interested to hear what everybody's opinions are on this, or I wouldn't have created this thread. So talk away! If you have something important to add, leave a comment so that visitors from other forums I frequent can also see what you have to say. Thanks!
     
    KevinJB, Jun 15, 2006 IP
  2. Zany_Jim

    Zany_Jim Peon

    Messages:
    144
    Likes Received:
    4
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #2
    I always make my sites minium width 800pixels so i don't leave them out. But most of the time i will use a liquid layout so it still fills the page for people with 800+
     
    Zany_Jim, Jun 15, 2006 IP
    KevinJB likes this.
  3. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #3
    So your saying you design your liquid sites so that the sidebars are big enough to hold all your text (in my case 130px each) without overlapping, in 800 x 600 windows, however when the browser window is expanded so is the site?
     
    KevinJB, Jun 15, 2006 IP
  4. kk5st

    kk5st Prominent Member

    Messages:
    3,497
    Likes Received:
    376
    Best Answers:
    29
    Trophy Points:
    335
    #4
    This discussion has occurred too many times to count. See the css-discuss Wiki, css layouts for a fairly balanced set of views.

    cheers,

    gary
     
    kk5st, Jun 15, 2006 IP
  5. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #5
    I'm not asking how to build a three column layout, as I'm confident in my CSS abilities. I'm asking how I should design my site with 800 x 600 resolutions in mind.
     
    KevinJB, Jun 15, 2006 IP
  6. kk5st

    kk5st Prominent Member

    Messages:
    3,497
    Likes Received:
    376
    Best Answers:
    29
    Trophy Points:
    335
    #6
    My bad. My recollection was that liquid, elastic and fixed width design issues were also discussed. Here's an article on elastic design. Else, Google fixed width and liquid css designs.

    My own designs tend toward fixed and elastic, with testing as narrow as 240px for PDAs and cells. My main concern is not to allow columns to get too wide to read comfortably, i.e. no more than 60–65 characters if possible.

    cheers,

    gary
     
    kk5st, Jun 15, 2006 IP
  7. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #7
    Ah, yes, that's a problem I had not yet considered! Fixed width sites are an easy solution to this, unfortunately they won't expand with the page. The max-width propery isn't supported by IE and I hate browser specific hacks...
     
    KevinJB, Jun 15, 2006 IP
  8. kk5st

    kk5st Prominent Member

    Messages:
    3,497
    Likes Received:
    376
    Best Answers:
    29
    Trophy Points:
    335
    #8
    If you just must support obsolete browsers (IE, eg.), putting an :expression value for width in a conditional comment is about the only sane work-around for max-width.

    I am not averse to letting IE look bad to some small degree, if the client will let me or doesn't notice. :)

    cheers,

    gary
     
    kk5st, Jun 15, 2006 IP
  9. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #9
    I don't mind if IE users don't get extra unneccessary features of my site, so long as it's still usable (and looks 99% the same) in IE. Gives them incentive to move to other browsers (FF, Opera).
     
    KevinJB, Jun 16, 2006 IP
  10. musicory

    musicory Peon

    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #10
    Keep the width at 765 to prevent horizontal scrolling.
     
    musicory, Jun 16, 2006 IP
  11. my44

    my44 Peon

    Messages:
    722
    Likes Received:
    24
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #11
    I'm still using 800px. Still have no guts to make the switch yet. I'm afraid my visitors will run away. LOL
     
    my44, Jun 17, 2006 IP
  12. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #12
    Yeah, me too =P
     
    KevinJB, Jun 18, 2006 IP
  13. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #13
    Alright, thanks for everbodies support! I'm going to be writing the followup post to this on my blog either tomorow or the day after, depending on when I get around to it. So if you have anything to add, make sure you do it soon!
     
    KevinJB, Jun 20, 2006 IP
  14. khun_parinya

    khun_parinya Peon

    Messages:
    33
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #14
    My website always contained these code.
    <table width="750" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" align="center">
    ....
    ....
    </table>
    So it has able to support both 800x600 and 1024x768
     
    khun_parinya, Jun 20, 2006 IP
  15. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #15
    So you basically use a fixed-width centered website 750px wide on all of your sites?
     
    KevinJB, Jun 20, 2006 IP
  16. khun_parinya

    khun_parinya Peon

    Messages:
    33
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #16
    Yes KevinJB. I am a beginner for making a website. I don't have experience for a dynamical website so I only basicly write a simple code.
     
    khun_parinya, Jun 21, 2006 IP
  17. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #17
    No, no, lots of people do that same thing :)
     
    KevinJB, Jun 21, 2006 IP
  18. Gareth Hodson

    Gareth Hodson Peon

    Messages:
    259
    Likes Received:
    2
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #18
    I usually go for something around 778px width. This looks good on most resolutions and accomodates for those on 800x600, therefore keeping everyone happy.
     
    Gareth Hodson, Jun 21, 2006 IP
  19. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #19
    Most people seem to reccomend 760px as the minimum width, perhaps because of differing browsers?
     
    KevinJB, Jun 22, 2006 IP
  20. KevinJB

    KevinJB Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #20
    Ok, so it's a bit late. I finally got around to it... :p I posted this on a sixth forum and got tons of responces there as well. I delayed it two days because of that. It was going to go on yesterday, but I had writer's block- bad. So instead I posted this interview instead. Today, however, I found myself much more capable of writing. Without further ado:

    http://www.kevinjb.com/2006/06/24/800x600-...ns-and-the-web/

    Let me know if I've missed anything or you disagree with anything I've said. :)
     
    KevinJB, Jun 24, 2006 IP