Keep in mind that, assuming a computer is available in more than one
resolution, which most are these days, it is the software that determines
the resolution setting, not the computer.  Most PCs come loaded with Win98
now and the default in Win98 is indeed 640 x 480.  It is the computer
manufacturer/assembler who decides what components will be provided (video
boards, monitors, etc.).  They are the ones who know what settings are
optimum for the systems they sell.  There is no way the OS provider can know
that in advance.  If they make the default higher that will probably cause
just as many if not more problems.

Unless the OEM computer manufacturer goes to the trouble of optimizing the
software they load (lots of luck on that one folks) it is up to the system
purchaser to make needed changes.  There are lots of options in an OS like
Win98.  Resolution is just one of them and it is no more complex to change
than choosing which screen saver or desktop theme you want to use.  They
even share the same screen.  Most folks seem to deal with those two items
just fine.  It should not be too big of a stretch to click another tab on
the Display Properties screen and change resolution too, but for some reason
resolution seems to be scarier than screen savers.  The reality is that
Microsoft (or Apple, or whoever) could easily write a wizard that would walk
people through the process.  They either haven't thought of that or they
don't care enough to do so.  In the meantime either we find a way to
compensate or we leave people to swim or sink as circumstances dictate.  We
can either be kinder/gentler or we can be just like the big guys.

skf

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hwg-graphics(at)hwg.org [mailto:owner-hwg-graphics(at)hwg.org] On
Behalf Of Cindy Stanley
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 1999 8:54 AM
To: TheWideWeb(at)aol.com; hwg-graphics(at)hwg.org
Subject: Re: Resoultion


From: TheWideWeb(at)aol.com <TheWideWeb(at)aol.com>

>I think this is a major problem in the design community.  People are
designing
>sites at 800x600 resolution.  This is a really bad choice.  All of the
new
>computers purchased come with a default resolution of 640x480.

Is this really true, that on all new computers, the default is set at
640x480? Can someone else verify this? This sounds too strange to be a
default on "new" computers.

<snip>
>This is partly due to Microsoft shipping
>all of their computers as 640x480 set as default.

Wow, this is hard to grasp. I had no idea! While I do always test my
pages for different resolutions, I guess knowing the above, that I will
be putting on "all" my pages the screen resolution best viewed at.

Cindy Stanley
http://pages.prodigy.net/stanleysupport

HWG: hwg-graphics mailing list archives, maintained by Webmasters @ IWA