I just noticed that Yahoo's homepage redesign frames nicely at 1024px.
I grabbed a screen shot and it appears that the width is 952px (give or take a pixel)
http://www.visionefx.net/test1.htm

Good to see that one of the big-dogs has taken a step-up to 1024.

Rick

Maybe not just yet.

I just had this conversation in a meeting with a client last night. I am always surprised at how many of our clients PC's are still set to 800x600. All new flat screen monitors, users want them at 800x600.

Go figure.

Sure, if they got a 15" flat screen that makes sense. Not many people will enjoy the small text and buttons of a high resolution, no matter how crisp and clear it is. Show me a guy with a 21"+ widescreen LCD at 800x600 and we'll have to prepare for a beatdown.

But really, what percentage of 800x600 users are we talking about? IMHO, they are downgrading their own PC experience even outside of the browser, so why use this as a common demoniator for web site design?

Based on recent client feedback I am more inclined to go with 1024.

Sometimes it’s the hardest thing in the world to convince a client that you do not have to fill every nook and crany on the screen. Web layout follows the same rules as print design. Text and graphics are aligned to create a natural ‘reading flow’ or ‘eye flow’. An experienced designer will strategically use ‘white space’ to facilitate a good read or flow.

In the end you have to decide what works best for you or your client. Different sites attract different audiences.

Good web references for current browsers usage statistics include;
W3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp,
Upsdell.com/BrowserNews,
Thecounter.com/stats
and Webreference.com/stats/browser.html

We build browser based applications, many with Coldfusion and MS SQL. We have found out the hard way that before doing too much work it is best to look around at each of the users PC's. At best 50% are not 800x600.

If we don't check we wind up going back and 'sucking alot of white space' out of pages.