Some thoughts about monitor sizes
Screen resolutions are definitely getting bigger. At least on new standard laptops and desktop monitors. Unfortunately, the problem for the modern web page designers, is that smaller resolutions have been making a bit of a comeback. Netbooks tend to have a resolution of something like 1024 X 600. The new iPad, which some say may become a primary computer for many people, is 1024-by-768. Then, people are increasingly using smart phones for some Internet access. (I don't know how many visit this site, but I can imagine some people do. Either to keep up with hot discussions in this forum. Or to quickly look up a washer model number when at a yard sale to decide "Is this worth bothering with?")
Then, there are troublesome people like me who tend to have older hardware. Frankly, it is completely irrelevant to me what is available today. I buy used--let someone else take the depreciation hit. Further, in this wretched economy, I'm not very enthusiastic about spending money on even used hardware unless absolutely needed. Thus, it'll likely be years before I have any of that technology in my home. I'm just one person, but I think many others are choosing to stick with older hardware, too until the economy improves.
Another point is that not everyone has their web page maximized to cover the whole 20" monitor. Many users probably do that thinking that "I have the space, I might as well use all of it!" But many people like large monitors so they can have several different windows open at once, and at least partly visible.
I don't envy the modern web page designer, simply because of how variable the screen is.[this post was last edited: 4/30/2010-18:41]