We have been using Desktop PCs to access the internet for years now and so we sort of expect people to have the ability to see our websites at a fairly standard size and shape. For an awkward couple of years from the mid-2000s we had been told that we need to optimise for notebooks and their bizarre screen resolutions but we managed to sidestep that issue by ignoring it. Fortunately the notebooks got better and the displays got larger and these days we can find a display on our laps that is nearly as large as the ones we had on our desks. A Glance at Google Analytics tells me that one of the most popular sites is obtained by people with resolutions of no less than 1024×900 that is a significant change from a few years back, but a welcome one.

This seems good News for your web developer but there is a new game in town and that is the web. Again, most people avoided creating different webpages for individuals using small screen mobile phones and again, we just ignored them but smartphones are now the standard and they have different requirements. The resolution might be good but they are almost impossible to read without zooming in or squinting. So for those looking to write to your mobile web properly they must design with this in mind and it does not finish at smartphones. The Internet is going Everywhere and now we have got the iPad making its debut soon and there have already been statements of a slew of different systems seeking to ride the tide of the new ‘tablet PC’ popularity.

These larger, again Format screens will have the ability to deal with standard websites from the box, but Apple has already said they won’t ever support Flash. So, at the very least, in case you have got a Flash site then you are going to need to think about changing it or offering an option. All this adds To the advertising budget of businesses whilst filling the pockets of web design agencies that are seeking to ‘help’ you compete, but there is another way. Even Though it is been around for decades, CSS is still something many smallish businesses see as alien technologies. By using CSS, however, your site should be viewable by anybody, whatever the kind of browser or size of display. If designed properly, your site should be perfectly great for everybody.  Well yes, there is more to it since new devices now have new ports and we are being asked to ditch the mouse and keyboard and feel our way around the screen simply by touching it. Once only found in science fiction films, the tactile touch screen is now a frequent sight and a few of the most recent technology is based on it for even the most mundane use.