Hello Heather!

> <<Every now and then someone says you should make such graphics at
> least 100 pixels high. Why is this?

Several times, yes, with no reference to 'which
browser/version/platform/RAM', or 'name that URL'. 

> Actually, I have heard that 24 pixels x width of screen + extra >
> (determined by you) is about the best (Killersites.com/David >
> Seigel). since it balaces the loads quickly/tiles quickly issue.

Either that can't be right or you're misunderstanding or not 
describing it properly. At a minimum VGA width 24p x 640 = 15360 
which seems 'a tad tall'.

> Apparently, you want your background to load quickly and to quickly
> fill up the screen, which will not happen with a 1 pixel background,
> that has too repeat so many times to fill the screen.

I posted maybe a week or two ago about this. This is on a DX4/100 w/ 
4M Number9, Didn't try one pixel. Two pixels square was snappy but 
could just barely see the tiling happen. Three pixels was Very Slow 
[tm], could clearly see tiling of columns and then rows. Four pixels 
was very snappy, couldn't see tiling. Five pixels was a bit faster 
than three but could still clearly see the tiling.

The fact that things happen faster is a sign that the operation is 
more efficient -and/or- takes less memory to perform. Could be either 
or both depending on the CPU, RAM design, video, or combination 
thereof. There are too many variations of those factors in PCs to 
state that any one 'reason' counts for more. 

In any case whether a background image is 50 or 100 pixels tall is
so -few- passes to tile the screen, and such a small difference in
file size, that the whole discussion IMO really is not worth the
time considering the absolute minimal gain achieved. Whether an
image downloads in 2.8 seconds or 2.6 seconds, whether it takes 0.7
or 0.9 seconds to render, is far less important than the many other
factors of HTML and graphics. Design, navigation, and content cost 
the -user- a lot more time when done poorly than any tiled background 
image will save them when done 'properly'.

Have a :) day!

jim barchuk
mailto:jb(at)jbarchuk.com
http://www.jbarchuk.com

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